H 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

Henry  Gutterson  1884-1954 


He  too  saw  the  image  in  the  water;  but  he  looked  up  at  once,  and  became 
aware  of  the  lovely  Lassie  who  sate  there  up  in  the  tree.     Page  70 


EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 
WEST  OF  THE  MOON 


OLD  TALES  FROM  THE  NORTH 


ILLUSTRATED    BV 

KAY    NIELSEN 


NEW  YORK 
GEORGE  H  DORAN  COMPANY 


PREFACE 

FOLK-TALE,  in  its  primitive  plainness  of  word 
and  entire  absence  of  complexity  in  thought, 
is  peculiarly  sensitive  and  susceptible  to  the 
touch  of  stranger  hands ;  and  he  who  has  been  able  to 
acquaint  himself  with  the  Norske  Folkeeventyr  of  Asb- 
jornsen  and  Moe  (from  which  these  stories  are  selected), 
has  an  advantage  over  the  reader  of  an  English  rendering. 
Of  this  advantage  Mr.  Kay  Nielsen  has  fully  availed 
himself :  and  the  exquisite  bizarrerie  of  his  drawings 
aptly  expresses  the  innermost  significance  of  the  old- 
world,  old-wives'  fables.  For  to  'term  these  legends, 
Nursery  Tales,  would  be  to  curtail  them,  by  nine-tenths, 
of  their  interest.  They  are  the  romances  of  the  childhood 
of  Nations  :  they  are  the  never-failing  springs  of  sentiment, 
of  sensation,  of  heroic  example,  from  which  primeval 
peoples  drank  their  fill  at  will. 

The   quaintness,  the  tenderness,   the   grotesque   yet 
realistic  intermingling  of  actuality  with  supernatural  ism, 
Afe     Afe 


« 

by  which  the  original  Nor  she  Folkeeventyr  are  characteriied, 
will  make  an  appeal  to  all,  as  represented  in  the  pictures 
of  Kay  Nielsen.  And  these  imperishable  traditions,  whose 
bases  are  among  the  very  roots  of  all  antiquity,  are  here 
reincarnated  in  line  and  colour,  to  the  delight  of  all  who 
ever  knew  or  now  shall  know  them. 

Permission  to  reprint  the  Stories  in  this  book,  which 
originally  appeared  in  Sir  G.  W.  Dasent's  "Popular  Tales 
from  the  Norse,"  has  been  obtained  from  Messrs.  George 
Routledge  &  Sons,  Ltd.  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES  IN  THE 
BLUE  MOUNTAIN  is  printed  by  arrangement  with  Messrs. 
David  Nutt ;  and  PRINCE  LINDWORM  is  newly  translated  for 
this  volume. 


CONTENTS 


PACK 

EAST  OF  THE  SUN   AND  WEST  OF  THE   MOON     .  9 

THE   BLUE   BELT 29 

PRINCE   LINDWORM 53 

THE   LASSIE  AND   HER   GODMOTHER          ...  65 

THE    HUSBAND   WHO  WAS   TO   MIND  THE   HOUSE  75 

THE  LAD  WHO   WENT  TO  THE   NORTH   WIND      .  79 

THE   THREE   PRINCESSES   OF   WHITELAND        .        .  85 

SORIA   MORIA   CASTLE 97 

THE  GIANT  WHO   HAD   NO   HEART  IN   HIS  BOPY  117 

THE  PRINCESS  ON   THE  GLASS  HILL          ...  131 

THE   WIDOW'S   SON 149 

THE   THREE   BILLY   GOATS   GRUFF       ....  167 

THE  THREE  PRINCESSES  IN  THE  BLUE  MOUNTAIN  171 

THE   CAT   ON   THE   DOVREFELL 201 

ONE'S   OWN   CHILDREN   ARE  ALWAYS  PRETTIEST.  205 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

y  mind  and  hold  tight  by  my  shaggy  coat,  and  then  there's 

nothing  to  fear"  said  the  Bear,  so  she  rode  a  long,  long  no  ay  9 

"  Tell  me  the  way,  then"  she  said,  "and  I'll  search  you  out"   .  1 6 

And  then  she  lay  on  a  little  green  patch  in  the  midst  of  the  gloomy 

thick  wood        ........  24. 

The  North  Wind  goes  over  the  sea                   .          .          .          .  32 

And  flitted  away  as  far  as  they  could  from  the  Castle  that  lay 

East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon  .          .                    .  40 


THE    BLUE    BELT 

The  Lad  in  the  Bear*y  skin,  and  the  King  of  Arabia's  daughter         48 


PRINCE    LINDWORM 


She  saw  the  Lindwormfor  the  first  time,  as  He  came  in  and  stood 

by  her  side         ........  56 


She  could  not  help  setting  the  door  a  little  ajar,  just  to  peep  in, 

when — Pop  !   outjlew  the  Moon  ....  64 

Then  he  coaxed  her  down  and  took  her  home  .          .          .          .  73 

"  Here  are  your  children ;  now  you  shall  have  them  again.    I  am 

the  Virgin  Mary  ".......  80 

He  too  saw  the  image  in  the  water ;  but  he  looked  up  at  once,  and 

became  aware  of  the  lovely  Lassie  who  sate  there  up  in  the  tree  FRONTISPIECI 


THE  THREE  PRINCESSES  OF  WHITELAND 

"  You  'II  come  to  three  Princesses,  whom  you  will  see  standing  in 

the  earth  up  to  their  necks,  with  only  their  heads  out "        *  88 

So  the  man  gave  him  a  pair  of  snow  shoes      .          .          .          .  96 

The  King  went  into  the  Castle,  and  at  first  his  Queen  didnt  know 
him,  he  was  so  wan  and  thin,  through  wandering  so  far 
and  being  so  woeful  .  ,  .  .  .  .  .  1 04 


THE    GIANT   WHO    HAD 
NO    HEART  IN    HIS    BODY 


The  six  brothers  riding  out  to  icoo         .         .         .         .         . 

"  On  that  island  stands  a.  church;  in  th*t  church  is  a  well  ;  in 

that  well  swims  a  duck"    .         .         .          .          »         .120 

Hf  took  a  long,  long  farewell  of  the  Princess  ^  and  when  he  got  out 

of  the  Giant's  door,  there  stood  the  Wolf  waiting  for  him   .        128 


THE   WIDOW'S   SON 

When  he  had  walked  a  day  or  so,  a  strange  man  met  him. 

"Whither  away?"  asl^ed  the  man         .          .          .          .        136 

But  still  the  Horse  begged  him  to  /oo{  behind  him     .         .  1 44 

And  this  time  she  whisked  of  the  wig ;  and  there  lay  the  lad,  so 
lovely,  and  white  and  red,  just  as  the  Princess  had  seen  him 
in  the  morning  sun  .  .  .  .  .  .  .152 

The  Lad  in  the  Battle 160 

(SKk      Slit      ^Dfti      &t±      ^ngk      &t±      4fr 

^^ra        ^gra       ^?jra        9vrc       ^cra        9Qn       ffs*3 


THE    THREE    PRINCESSES 
IN  THE  BLUE  MOUNTAIN 

Page 
Just  as  they  bent  down  to  take  the  rose  a  big  dense  snowdrift  came 

and  carried  them  away        .          .          .          .          .          .168 

The  Troll  was  quite  willing,  and  before  long  he  fell  asleep  and 

began  snoring    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .176 

A s  soon  as  they  lugged  at  the  rope,  the  Captain  and  the  Lieutenant 

pulled  up  the  Princesses^  the  one  after  the  other         .          .        1 84 

No  sooner  had  he  whistled- than  he  heard  a  whizzing  and  a  whirring 
from  all  quarter  s>  and  such  a  large  jioc^  of  birds  swept  down 
that  they  blackened  all  the  Jield  in  which  they  settled          .        192 


"Well,  mind  and  hold  tight  by  my  shaggy  coat,  and  then  there's  nothing  to 
fear,"  said  the  Bear,  so  she  rode  a  long,  long  way.    Page  10 


EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 
WEST  OF  THE   MOON 

INCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  poor  husbandman 
who  had  so  many  children  that  he  hadn't  much 
of  either  food  or  clothing  to  give  them.  Pretty 
children  they  all  were,  but  the  prettiest  wa's  the  youngest 
daughter,  who  was  so  lovely  there  was  no  end  to  her 
loveliness. 

So  one  day,  'twas  on  a  Thursday  evening  late  at  the 
fall  of  the  year,  the  weather  was  so  wild  and  rough  outside, 
and  it  was  so  cruelly  dark,  and  rain  fell  and  wind  blew, 
till  the  walls  of  the  cottage  shook  again.  There  they  all 
sat  round  the  fire,  busy  with  this  thing  and  that.  But 
just  then,  all  at  once  something  gave  three  taps  on  the 
window-pane.  Then  the  father  went  out  to  see  what 
was  the  matter ;  and,  when  he  got  out  of  doors,  what 
should  he  see  but  a  great  big  White  Bear. 

"Good-evening  to  you!"  said  the  White  Bear. 

"  The  same  to  you ! "  said  the  man. 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  youngest  daughter  ?  If  you 
will,  I'll  make  you  as  rich  as  you  are  now  poor,'*  said 
the  Bear. 


Well,  the  man  would  not  be  at  all  sorry  to  be  so  rich ; 
but  still  he  thought  he  must  have  a  bit  of  a  talk  with  his 
daughter  first;  so  he  went  in  and  told  them  how  there 
was  a  great  White  Bear  waiting  outside,  who  had  given 
his  word  to  make  them  so  rich  if  he  could  only  have  the 
youngest  daughter. 

The  lassie  said  "No!"  outright.  Nothing  could  get 
her  to  say  anything  else ;  so  the  man  went  out  and  settled 
it  with  the  White  Bear  that  he  should  come  again  the 
next  Thursday  evening  and  get  an  answer.  Meantime  he 
talked  his  daughter  over,  and  kept  on  telling  her  of  all 
the  riches  they  would  get,  and  how  well  off  she  would  be 
herself;  and  so  at  last  she  thought  better  of  it,  and  washed 
and  mended  her  rags,  made  herself  as  smart  as  she  could, 
and  was  ready  to  start.  I  can't  say  her  packing  gave  her 
much  trouble. 

Next  Thursday  evening  came  the  White  Bear  to  fetch 
her,  and  she  got  upon  his  back  with  iier  bundle,  and  off 
they  went.  So,  when  they  had  gone  a  bit  of  the  way, 
the  White  Bear  said  : 

"Are  you  afraid  ?" 

"No,"  she  wasn't. 

"  Well !  mind  and  hold  tight  by  my  shaggy  coat,  and 


to 


then  there's  no 
thing  to  fear,"  said 
the  Bear. 

So  she  rode  a 
long,  long  way, 
till  they  came  to  a 
great  steep  hill. 
There,  on  the  face 
of  it,  the  White 
Bear  gave  a  knock, 
and  a  door  opened, 
and  they  came  into 
a  castle  where 
there  were  many 
rooms  all  lit  up ;  rooms  gleaming  with  silver  and  gold ; 
and  there,  too,  was  a  table  ready  laid,  and  it  was  all  as 
grand  as  grand  could  be.  Then  the  White  Bear  gave  her 
a  silver  bell;  and  when  she  wanted  anything,  she  was  only 
to  ring  it,  and  she  would  get  it  at  once. 

Well,  after  she  had  eaten  and  drunk,  and  evening  wore 
on,  she  got  sleepy  after  her  journey,  and  thought  she  would 
like  to  go  to  bed,  so  she  rang  the  bell ;  and  she  had  scarce 
taken  hold  of  it  before  she  came  into  a  chamber  where  there 


ii 


was  a  bed  made,  as  fair  and  white  as  any  one  would  wish 
to  sleep  in,  with  silken  pillows  and  curtains  and  gold  fringe. 
All  that  was  in  the  room  was  gold  or  silver ;  but  when  she 
had  gone  to  bed  and  put  out  the  light,  a  man  came  and 
laid  himself  alongside  her.  That  was  the  White  Bear,  who 
threw  off  his  beast  shape  at  night ;  but  she  never  saw  him, 
for  he  always  came  after  she  had  put  out  the  light,  and 
before  the  day  dawned  he  was  up  and  off  again.  So  things 
went  on  happily  for  a  while,  but  at  last  she  began  to  get 
silent  and  sorrowful ;  for  there  she  went  about  all  day 
alone,  and  she  longed  to  go  home  to  see  her  father  and 
mother  and  brothers  and  sisters.  So  one  day,  when  the 
White  Bear  asked  what  it  was  that  she  lacked,  she  said  it 
was  so  dull  and  lonely  there,  and  how  she  longed  to  go 
home  to  see  her  father  and  mother  and  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  that  was  why  she  was  so  sad  and  sorrowful, 
because  she  couldn't  get  to  them. 

"Well,  well!"  said  the  Bear,  "perhaps  there's  a  cure 
for  all  this ;  but  you  must  promise  me  one  thing,  not  to 
talk  alone  with  your  mother,  but  only  when  the  rest  are 
by  to  hear;  for  she'll  take  you  by  the  hand  and  try  to 
lead  you  into  a  room  alone  to  talk ;  but  you  must  mind 
and  not  do  that,  else  you'll  bring  bad  luck  on  both  of  us." 

iSEk       &t±       jgrgfc      && 

&&3  &V3  ^gP3  «^B*3 


12 


So  one  Sunday  the  White  Bear  came  and  said,  now 
they  could  set  off  to  see  her  father  and  mother.  Well, 
off  they  started,  she  sitting  on  his  back ;  and  they  went 
far  and  long.  At  last  they  came  to  a  grand  house,  and 
there  her  brothers  and  sisters  were  running  about  out  of 
doors  at  play,  and  everything  was  so  pretty,  'twas  a  joy 
to  see. 

"This  is  where  your  father  and  mother  live  now,V  said 
the  White  Bear;  "but  don't  forget  what  I  told  you,  else 
you'll  make  us  both  unlucky." 

uNo!  bless  her,  she'd  not  forget ;" — and  when  she  had 
reached  the  house,  the  White  Bear  turned  right  about 
and  left  her. 

Then,  when  she  went  in  to  see  her  father  and  mother, 
there  was  such  joy,  there  was  no  end  to  it.  None  of 
them  thought  they  could  thank  her  enough  for  all  she 
had  done  for  them.  Now,  they  had  everything  they 
wished,  as  good  as  good  could  be,  and  they  all  wanted 
to  know  how  she  got  on  where  she  lived. 

Well,  she  said,  it  was  very  good  to  live  where  she  did ; 
she  had  all  she  wished.  What  she  said  beside  I  don't 
know,  but  I  don't  think  any  of  them  had  the  right  end  of 
the  stick,  or  that  they  got  much  out  of  hen  But  so,  in 


the  afternoon,  after  they  had  done  dinner,  all  happened 
as  the  White  Bear  had  said.  Her  mother  wanted  to  talk 
with  her  alone  in  her  bedroom;  but  she  minded  what 
the  White  Bear  had  said,  and  wouldn't  go  upstairs. 

"Oh !  what  we  have  to  talk  about  will  keep !"  she  said, 
and  put  her  mother  off.  But,  somehow  or  other,  her 
mother  got  round  her  at  last,  and  she  had  to  tell  her  the 
whole  story.  So  she  said,  how  every  night  when  she  had 
gone  to  bed  a  man  came  and  lay  down  beside  her  as  soon 
as  she  had  put  out  the  light ;  and  how  she  never  saw  him, 
because  he  was  always  up  and  away  before  the  morning 
dawned ;  and  how  she  went  about  woeful  and  sorrowing, 
for  she  thought  she  should  so  like  to  see  him ;  and  how 
all  day  long  she  walked  about  there  alone ;  and  how  dull 
and  dreary  and  lonesome  it  was. 

"  My  ! "  said  her  mother ;  "  it  may  well  be  a  Troll  you 
slept  with!  But  now  I'll  teach  you  a  lesson  how  to  set 
eyes  on  him.  I'll  give  you  a  bit  of  candle,  which  you 
can  carry  home  in  your  bosom;  just  light  that  while  he 
is  asleep,  but  take  care  not  to  drop  the  tallow  on  him." 

Yes !  she  took  the  candle  and  hid  it  in  her  bosom, 
and  as  night  drew  on,  die  White  Bear  came  and  fetched 
her  away. 


But  when  they  had  gone  a  bit  of  the  way,  the  White 
Bear  asked  if  all  hadn't  happened  as  he  had  said. 

"Well,  she  couldn't  say  it  hadn't." 

"Now,  mind,"  said  he,  "if  you  have  listened  to  your 
mother's  advice,  you  have  brought  bad  luck  on  us  both,  and 
then,  all  that  has  passed  between  us  will  be  as  nothing." 

"No,"  she  said,  "she  hadn't  listened  to  her  mother's 
advice." 

So  when  she  reached  home,  and  had  gone  to  bed,  it 
was  the  old  story  over  again.  There  came  a  man  and  lay 
down  beside  her ;  but  at  dead  of  night,  when  she  heard 
he  slept,  she  got  up  and  struck  a  light,  lit  the  candle,  and 
let  the  light  shine  on  him,  and  so  she  saw  that  he  was  the 
loveliest  Prince  one  ever  set  eyes  on,  and  she  fell  so  deep 
in  love  with  him  on  the  spot,  that  she  thought  she  couldn't 
live  if  she  didn't  give  him  a  kiss  there  and  then.  And  so 
she  did ;  but  as  she  kissed  him,  she  dropped  three  hot 
drops  of  tallow  on  his  shirt,  and  he  woke  up. 

"What  have  you  done?"  he  cried;  "now  you  have 
made  us  both  unlucky,  for  had  you  held  out  only  this 
one  year,  I  had  been  freed.  For  I  have  a  step-mother 
who  has  bewitched  me,  so  that  I  am  a  White  Bear  by 
day,  and  a  Man  by  night.  But  now  all  ties  are  snapt 


between  us ;» now  I  must  set  off  from  you  to  her.  She 
lives  in  a  Castle  which  stands  East  of  the  Sun  and  West 
of  the  Moon,  and  there,  too,  is  a  Princess,  with  a  nose 
three  ells  long,  and  she's  the  wife  I  must  have  now." 

She  wept  and  took  it  ill,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it ; 
go  he  must. 

Then  she  asked  if  she  mightn't  go  with  him. 

No,  she  mightn't. 

"Tell  me  the  way,  then,"  she  said,  "and  I'll  search 
you  out ;  that  surely  I  may  get  leave  to  do." 

"Yes,"  she  might  do  that,  he  said;  "but  there  was 
no  way  to  that  place.  It  lay  East  of  the  Sun  and  West 
of  the  Moon,  and  thither  she'd  never  find  her  way." 

So  next  morning,  when  she  woke  up,  both  Prince  and 
castle  were  gone,  and  then  she  lay  on  a  little  green  patch, 
in  the  midst  of  the  gloomy  thick  wood,  and  by  her  side 
lay  the  same  bundle  of  rags  she  had  brought  with  her  from 
her  old  home. 

So  when  she  had  rubbed  the  sleep  out  of  her  eyes,  and 
wept  till  she  was  tired,  she  set  out  on  her  way,  and  walked 
many,  many  days,  till  she  came  to  a  lofty  crag.  Under  it 
sat  an  old  hag,  and  played  with  a  gold  apple  which  sho 
tossed  about.  Her  the  lassie  asked  if  she  knew  the  way 


16 


"Tell  me  the     way,  then,"  she  said,  "and  I'll  search  you  out."     Page  16 


to  the  Prince,  who 
lived  with  his 
step-mother  in  the 
Castle,  that  lay 
East  of  the  Sun 
and  West  of  the 
Moon,  and  who 
was  to  marry  the 
Princess  with  a 
nose  three  ells 
long. 

"How     did 
you  come  to  know 
about  him? "asked 
the  old  hag ;  "  but  maybe  you  are  the  lassie  who  ought  to 
have  had  him?" 

Yes,  she  was. 

"So,  so;  it's  you,  is  it?"  said  the  old  hag.  "Well, 
all  I  know  about  him  is,  that  he  lives  in  the  castle  that 
lies  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon,  and  thither 
you'll  come,  late  or  never ;  but  still  you  may  have  the  loan 
of  my  horse,  and  on  him  you  can  ride  to  my  next  neigh 
bour.  Maybe  she'll  be  able  to  tell  you ;  and  when  you 


get  there,  just  give  the  horse  a  switch  under  the  left  ear, 
and  beg  him  to  be  off  home ;  and,  stay,  this  gold  apple 
you  may  take  with  you." 

So  she  got  upon  the  horse,  and  rode  a  long,  long  time, 
till  she  came  to  another  crag,  under  which  sat  another  old 
hag,  with  a  gold  carding-comb.  Her  the  lassie  asked  if 
she  knew  the  way  to  the  castle  that  lay  East  of  the  Sun 
and  West  of  the  Moon^  and  she  answered,  like  the  first 
old  hag,  that  she  knew  nothing  about  it,  except  it  was  east 
of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon. 

"  And  thither  you'll  come,  late  or  never,  but  you  shall 
have  the  loan  of  my  horse  to  my  next  neighbour ;  maybe 
shell  tell  you  all  about  it ;  and  when  you  get  there,  j  ust  switch 
the  horse  under  the  left  ear,  and  beg  him  to  be  off  home." 

And  this  old  hag  gave  her  the  golden  carding-comb ; 
it  might  be  she'd  find  some  use  for  it,  she  said.  So  the 
lassie  got  up  on  the  horse,  and  rode  a  far,  far  way,  and  a 
weary  time ;  and  so  at  last  she  came  to  another  great  crag, 
under  which  sat  another  old  hag,  spinning  with  a  golden 
spinning-wheel.  Her,  too,  she  asked  if  she  knew  the  way 
to  the  Prince^  and  where  the  castle  was  that  lay  East  of 
the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon.  So  it  was  the  same  thing 
over  again. 


"Maybe  it's  you  who  ought  to  have  had  the  Prince?" 
said  the  old  hag. 

Yes,  it  was. 

But  she,  too,  didn't  know  the  way  a  bit  better  than  the 
other  two.  "  East  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon  it 
was,"  she  knew  —  that  was  all. 

"And  thither  you'll  come,  kte  or  never;  but  I'll  lend 
you  my  horse,  and  then  I  think  you'd  best  ride  to  the 
East  Wind  and  ask  him  ;  maybe  he  knows  those  parts,  and 
can  blow  you  thither.  But  when  you  get  to  him,  you 
need  only  give  the  horse  a  switch  under  the  left  ear,  and 
he  '11  trot  home  of  himself." 

And  so,  too,  she  gave  her  the  gold  spinning-wheel. 
"Maybe  you'll  find  a  use  for  it,"  said  the  old  hag. 

Then  on  she  rode  many  many  days,  a  weary  time, 
before  she  got  to  the  East  Wind's  house,  but  at  last  she 
did  reach  it,  and  then  she  asked  the  East  Wind  if  he  could 
tell  her  the  way  to  the  Prince  who  dwelt  east  of  the  sun 
and  west  of  the  moon.  Yes,  the  East  Wind  had  often 
heard  tell  of  it,  the  Prince  and  the  castle,  but  he  couldn't 
tell  the  way,  for  he  had  never  blown  so  far. 

"But,  if  you  will,  I'll  go  with  you  to  my  brother  the 
West  Wind,  maybe  he  knows,  for  he's  much  stronger. 


*9 


So,  if  you  will  just  get  on  my  back,  I'll  carry  you  thither." 

Yes,  she  got  on  his  back,  and  I  should  just  think  they 
went  briskly  along. 

So  when  they  got  there,  they  went  into  the  West 
Wind's  house,  and  the  East  Wind  said  the  lassie  he  had 
brought  was  the  one  who  ought  to  have  had  the  Prince 
who  lived  in  the  castle  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the 
Moon;  and  so  she  had  set  out  to  seek  him,  and  how  he 
had  come  with  her,  and  would  be  glad  to  know  if  the 
West  Wind  knew  how  to  get  to  the  castle. 

"  Nay,"  said  the  West  Wind,  "  so  far  I've  never  blown ; 
but  if  you  will,  I  '11  go  with  you  to  our  brother  the  South 
Wind,  for  he's  much  stronger  than  either  of  us,  and  he 
has  flapped  his  wings  far  and  wide.  Maybe  he'll  tell  you. 
You  can  get  on  my  back,  and  I'll  carry  you  to  him." 

Yes !  she  got  on  his  back,  and  so  they  travelled  to  the  South 
Wind,  and  weren't  so  very  long  on  the  way,  I  should  think. 

When  they  got  there,  the  West  Wind  asked  him  if  he 
could  tell  her  the  way  to  the  castle  that  lay  East  of  the 
Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon,  for  it  was  she  who  ought  to 
have  had  the  Prince  who  lived  there. 

"You  don't  say  so!  That's  she,  is  it?"  said  the  South 
Wind. 


20 


"  Well,  I  have  blustered  about  in  most  places  in  my  time, 
but  so  far  have  I  never  blown;  but  if  you  will,  I'll  take 
you  to  my  brother  the  North  Wind ;  he  is  the  oldest  and 
strongest  of  the  whole  lot  of  us,  and  if  he  don't  know 
where  it  is,  you'll  never  find  any  one  in  the  world  to  tell 
you.  You  can  get  on  my  back,  and  I'll  carry  you  thither." 

Yes !  she  got  on  his  back,  and  away  he  went  from  his 
house  at  a  fine  rate.  And  this  time,  too,  she  wasn't  long 
on  her  way. 

So  when  they  got  to  the  North  Wind's  house,  he  was 
so  wild  and  cross,  cold  puffs  came  from  him  a  long  way 
off. 

"  BLAST  YOU  BOTH,  WHAT  DO  YOU  WANT?"  he  roared  out 
to  them  ever  so  far  off,  so  that  it  struck  them  with  an  icy 
shiver. 

"  Well,"  said  the  South  Wind,  "  you  needn't  be  so  foul- 
mouthed,  for  here  I  am,  your  brother,  the  South  Wind, 
and  here  is  the  lassie  who  ought  to  have  had  the  Prince 
who  dwells  in  the  castle  that  lies  East  of  the  Sun  and 
West  of  the  Moony  and  now  she  wants  to  ask  you  if  you 
ever  were  there,  and  can  tell  her  the  way,  for  she  would 
be  so  glad  to  find  him  again." 

"  YES,  I  KNOW  WELL  ENOUGH  WHERE  IT  is,"  said  the  North 


21 


Wind  ;  "once  in  my  life  I  blew  an  aspen-leaf  thither,  but; 
I  was  so  tired  I  couldn't  blow  a  puff  for  ever  so  many  days, 
after.  But  if  you  really  wish  to  go  thither,  and  aren't 
afraid  to  come  along  with  me,  I'll  take  you  on  my  back 
and  see  if  I  can  blow  you  thither." 

Yes !  with  all  her  heart ;  she  must  and  would  get 
thither  if  it  were  possible  in  any  way;  and  as  for  fear,, 
however  madly  he  went,  she  wouldn't  be  at  all  afraid. 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  the  North  Wind,  "but  you 
must  sleep  here  to-night y  for  we  must  have  the  whole  day 
before  us,  if  we're  to  get  thither  at  all." 

Early  next  morning  the  North  Wind  woke  her,  and 
puffed  himself  up,  and  blew  himself  out,  and  made  himself 
so  stout  and  big,  'twas  gruesome  to  look  at  him ;  and  so 
off  they  went  high  up  through  the  air,  as  if  they  would 
never  stop  till  they  got  to  the  world's  end. 

Down  here  below  there  was  such  a  storm;  it  threw 
down  long  tracts  of  wood  and  many  houses,  and  when  it 
swept  over  the  great  sea,  ships  foundered  by  hundreds. 

So  they  tore  on  and  on — no  one  can  believe  how  far 
they  went — and  all  the  while  they  still  went  over  the  sea, 
and  the  North  Wind  got  more  and  more  weary,  and  so 
out  of  breath  he  could  scarce  bring  out  a  puff,  and  his 


wings  drooped  and  drooped,  till  at  last  he  sunk  so  low 
that  the  crests  of  the  waves  dashed  over  his  heels. 

"Are  you  afraid?"  said  the  North  Wind. 

"No!"  she  wasn't. 

But  they  weren't  very  far  from  land ;  and  the  North 
Wind  had  still  so  much  strength  left  in  him  that  he 
managed  to  throw  her  up  on  the  shore  under  the  windows 
of  the  castle  which  lay  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon; 
but  then  he  was  so  weak  and  worn  out,  he  had  to  stay 
there  and  rest  many  days  before  he  could  get  home  again. 

Next  morning  the  lassie  sat  down  under  the  castle 
window,  and  began  to  play  with  the  gold  apple ;  and  the 
first  person  she  saw  was  the  Long-nose  who  was  to  have 
the  Prince. 

"  What  do  you  want  for  your  gold  apple,  you  lassie  ? " 
said  the  Long-nose,  and  threw  up  the  window. 

"  It's  not  for  sale,  for  gold  or  money,"  said  the  lassie. 

"  If  it's  not  for  sale  for  gold  or  money,  what  is  it  that 
you  will  sell  it  for?  You  may  name  your  own  price," 
said  the  Princess. 

"  Well !  if  I  may  get  to  the  Prince,  who  lives  here, 
and  be  with  him  to-night,  you  shall  have  it,"  said  the  lassie 
whom  the  North  Wind  had  brought. 


23 


Yes !  she  might ;  that  could  be  done.  So  the  Princess 
got  the  gold  apple;  but  when  the  lassie  came  up  to  the 
Prince's  bed-room  at  night  he  was  fast  asleep ;  she  called 
him  and  shook  him,  and  between  whiles  she  wept  sore ; 
but  all  she  could  do  she  couldn't  wake  him  up.  Next 
morning,  as  soon  as  day  broke,  came  the  Princess  with 
the  long  nose,  and  drove  her  out  again. 

So  in  the  daytime  she  sat  down  under  the  castle  win 
dows  and  began  to  card  with  her  carding-comb,  and  the 
same  thing  happened.  The  Princess  asked  what  she 
wanted  for  it ;  and  she  said  it  wasn't  for  sale  for  gold  or 
money,  but  if  she  might  get  leave  to  go  up  to  the  Prince 
and  be  with  him  that  night,  the  Princess  should  have  it. 
But  when  she  went  up  she  found  him  fast  asleep  again, 
and  all  she  called,  and  all  she  shook,  and  wept,  and 
prayed,  she  couldn't  get  life  into  him ;  and  as  soon  as  the 
first  gray  peep  of  day  came,  then  came  the  Princess  with 
the  long  nose,  and  chased  her  out  again. 

So,  in  the  daytime,  the  lassie  sat  down  outside  under 
the  castle  window,  and  began  to  spin  with  her  golden 
spinning-wheel,  and  that,  too,  the  Princess  with  the  long 
nose  wanted  to  have.  So  she  threw  up  the  window  and 
asked  what  she  wanted  for  it.  The  lassie  said,  as  she  had 


24 


And  then  she  lay  on  a  little  green  patch  in  the  midst  of  the 
gloomy  thick  wood.     Page  16 


said  twice  before,  it  wasn't  for  sale  for  gold  or  money ; 
but  if  she  might  go  up  to  the  Prince  who  was  there,  and 
be  with  him  alone  that  night,  she  might  have  it. 

Yes  !  she  might  do  that  and  welcome.  But  now  you 
must  know  there  were  some  Christian  folk  who  had  been 
carried  off  thither,  and  as  they  sat  in  their  room,  which 
was  next  the  Prince,  they  had  heard  how  a  woman  had 
been  in  there,  and  wept  and  prayed,  and  called  to  him 
two  nights  running,  and  they  told  that  to  the  Prince. 

That  evening,  when  the  Princess  came  with  her  sleepy 
drink,  the  Prince  made  as  if  he  drank,  but  threw  it  over 
over  his  shoulder,  for  he  could  guess  it  was  a  sleepy  drink. 
So,  when  the  lassie  came  in,  she  found  the  Prince  wide 
awake ;  and  then  she  told  him  the  whole  story  how  she 
had  come  thither. 

"Ah,"  said  the  Prince^  "you've  just  come  in  the  very 
nick  of  time,  for  to-morrow  is  to  be  our  wedding-day ; 
but  now  I  won't  have  the  Long-nose^  and  you  are  the 
only  woman  in  the  world  who  can  set  me  free.  I'll  say 
I  want  to  see  what  my  wife  is  fit  for,  and  beg  her  to  wash 
the  shirt  which  has  the  three  spots  of  tallow  on  it ;  she'll 
say  yes,  for  she  doesn't  know  'tis  you  who  put  them 
there ;  but  that's  a  work  only  for  Christian  folk,  and  not 


" 
" 


for  such  a  pack  of  Trolls,  and  so  I'll  say  that  I  won't 
have  any  other  for  my  bride  than  the  woman  who  can 
wash  them  out,  and  ask  you  to  do  it." 

So  there  was  great  joy  and  love  between  them  all  that 
night.  But  next  day,  when  the  wedding  was  to  be,  the 
Prince  said  : 

"First  of  all,  I'd  like  to  see  what  my  bride  is  fit  for." 
Yes ! "  said  the  step-mother,  with  all  her  heart. 
Well,"  said  the  Prince,  "  I've  got  a  fine  shirt  which 
I'd  like  for  my  wedding  shirt,  but  somehow  or  other  it 
has  got  three  spots  of  tallow  on  it,  which  I  must  have 
washed  out ;  and  I  have  sworn  never  to  -take  any  other 
bride  than  the  woman  who's  able  to  do  that.  If  she 
can't,  she's  not  worth  having." 

Well,  that  was  no  great  thing  they  said,  so  they 
agreed,  and  she  with  the  long-nose  began  to  wash  away 
as  hard  as  she  could,  but  the  more  she  rubbed  and 
scrubbed,  the  bigger  the  spots  grew. 

u  Ah ! "  said  the  old  hag,  her  mother,  "  you  can't 
wash  ;  let  me  try." 

But  she  hadn't  long  taken  the  shirt  in  hand  before  it 
got  far  worse  than  ever,  and  with  all  her  rubbing,  and 
wringing,  and  scrubbing,  the  spots  grew  bigger  and 


26 


blacker,  and  the  darker  and  uglier  was  the  shirt. 

Then  all  the  other  Trolls  began  to  wash,  but  the  longer 
it  lasted,  the  blacker  and  uglier  the  shirt  grew,  till  at  last 
it  was  as  black  all  over  as  if  it  had  been  up  the  chimney. 

"Ah!"  said  the  Prince,  "you're  none  of  you  worth  .a 
straw ;  you  can't  wash.  Why  there,  outside,  sits  a  beggar 
lassie,  I'll  be  bound  she  knows  how  to  wash  better  than 
the  whole  lot  of  you.  COME  IN,  LASSIE  !  "  he  shouted. 

Well,  in  she  came. 

"Can  you  wash  this  shirt  clean,  lassie  you?"  said  he. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  said,  "but  I  think  I  can." 

And  almost  before  she  had  taken  it  and  dipped  it  in 
the  water,  it  was  as  white  as  driven  snow,  and  whiter  still. 

"Yes;  you  are  the  lassie  for  me,"  said  the  Prince. 

At  that  the  old  hag  flew  into  such  a  rage,  she  burst 
on  the  spot,  and  the  Princess  with  the  long  nose  after 
her,  and  the  whole  pack  of  Trolls  after  her — at  least  I've 
never  heard  a  word  about  them  since. 

As  for  the  Prince  and  Princess,  they  set  free  all  the 
poor  Christian  folk  who  had  been  carried  off  and  shut  up 
there;  and  they  took  with  them  all  the  silver  and  gold, 
and  flitted  away  as  far  as  they  could  from  the  Castle  that 
lay  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon. 


27 


THE   BLUE   BELT 

NCE  on  a  time  there  was  an  old  beggar-woman, 
who  had  gone  out  to  beg.  She  had  a  little  lad 
with  her,  and  when  she  had  got  her  bag  full 
she  struck  across  the  hills  towards  her  own  home.  So 
when  they  had  gone  a  bit  up  the  hill-side,  they  came  upon 
a  little  Blue  Belt  which  lay  where  two  paths  met,  and  the 
lad  asked  his  mother's  leave  to  pick  it  up. 

"No,"  said  she,  "  may  be  there's  witchcraft  in  it;'* 
and  so  with  threats  she  forced  him  to  follow  her.  But 
when  they  had  gone  a  bit  further,  the  lad  said  he  must 
turn  aside  a  moment  out  of  the  road ;  and  meanwhile  his 
mother  sat  down  on  a  tree-stump.  But  the  lad  was  a  long 
time  gone,  for  as  soon  as  he  got  so  far  into  the  wood  that 
the  old  dame  could  not  see  him,  he  ran  off  to  where  the 
Belt  lay,  took  it  up,  tied  it  round  his  waist,  and  lo!  he 
felt  as  strong  as  if  he  could  lift  the  whole  hill.  When  he 
got  back,  the  old  dame  was  in  a  great  rage,  and  wanted  to 
know  what  he  had  been  doing  all  that  while.  "  You  don't 
care  how  much  time  you  waste,  and  yet  you  know  the 
night  is  drawing  on,  and  we  must  cross  the  hill  before  it  is 
dark!"  So  on  they  tramped;  but  when  they  had  got 


about  half-way,  the  old  dame  grew  weary,  and  said  she 
must  rest  under  a  bush. 

"Dear  mother,"  said  the  lad,  "mayn't  I  just  go  up  to 
the  top  of  this  high  crag  while  you  rest,  and  try  if  I  can't 
see  some  sign  of  folk  hereabouts  ? " 

Yes !  he  might  do  that ;  so  when  he  had  got  to  the  top 
he  saw  a  light  shining  from  the  north.  So  he  ran  down 
and  told  his  mother. 

"  We  must  get  on,  mother ;  we  are  near  a  house,  for  I 
see  a  bright  light  shining  quite  close  to  us  in  the  north." 
Then  she  rose  and  shouldered  her  bag,  and  set  off  to  see ; 
but  they  hadn't  gone  far,  before  there  stood  a  steep  spur 
of  the  hill,  right  across  their  path. 

"Just  as  I  thought! "  said  the  old  dame,  "  now  we  can't 
go  a  step  farther ;  a  pretty  bed  we  shall  have  here ! " 

But  the  lad  took  the  bag  under  one  arm,  and  his 
mother  under  the  other,  and  ran  straight  up  the  steep  crag 
with  them. 

"Now,  don't  you  see?  Don't  you  see  that  we  are 
close  to  a  house  ?  Don't  you  see  that  bright  light  ? " 

But  the  old  dame  said  those  were  no  Christian  folk, 
but  Trolls^  for  she  was  at  home  in  all  that  forest  far  and 
near,  and  knew  there  was  not  a  living  soul  in  it,  until 


you  were  well  over  the  ridge  and  had  come  down  on  the 
other  side.  But  they  went  on,  and  in  a  little  while  they 
came  to  a  great  house  which  was  all  painted  red. 

"What's  the  good  ? "  said  the  old  dame.  "  We  daren't 
go  in,  for  here  the  Trolls  live." 

"Don't  say  so  ;  we  must  go  in.  There  must  be  men 
where  the  lights  shine  so,"  said  the  lad.  So  in  he  went, 
and  his  mother  after  him,  but  he  had  scarce  opened  the 
door  before  she  swooned  away,  for  there  she  saw  a  great 
stout  man,  at  least  twenty  feet  high,  sitting  on  the  bench. 

"Good  evening,  grandfather!"  said  the  lad. 

"Well,  here  I've  sat  three  hundred  years,"  said  the 
man  who  sat  on  the  bench,  "and  no  one  has  ever  come 
and  called  me  grandfather  before."  Then  the  lad  sat  down 
by  the  man's  side,  and  began  to  talk  to  him  as  if  they  had 
been  old  friends. 

"But  what's  come  over  your  mother?"  said  the  man, 
after  they  had  chatted  a  while.  "I  think  she  swooned 
away ;  you  had  better  look  after  her." 

So  the  lad  went  and  took  hold  of  the  old  dame,  and 
dragged  her  up  the  hall  along  the  floor.  That  brought 
her  to  herself,  and  she  kicked  and  scratched,  and  flung 
herself  about,  and  at  last  sat  down  upon  a  heap  of  firewood 


in  the  corner;  but  she  was  so  frightened  that  she  scarce 
dared  to  look  one  in  the  face. 

After  a  while,  the  lad  asked  if  they  could  spend  the 
night  there. 

"Yes,  to  be  sure,"  said  the  man. 

So  they  went  on  talking  again,  but  the  lad  soon  got 
hungry,  and  wanted  to  know  if  they  could  get  food  as 
well  as  lodging. 

"Of  course,"  said  the  man,  "that  might  be  got  too." 
And  after  he  had  sat  a  while  longer,  he  rose  up  and  threw 
six  loads  of  dry  pitch-pine  on  the  fire.  This  made  the 
old  hag  still  more  afraid. 

"Oh!  now  he's  going  to  roast  us  alive,"  she  said,  in 
the  corner  where  she  sat. 

And  when  the  wood  had  burned  down  to  glowing 
embers,  up  got  the  man  and  strode  out  of  his  house. 

"Heaven  bless  and  help  us!  what  a  stout  heart  you 
have  got!"  said  the  old  dame.  "Don't  you  see  we  have 
got  amongst  Trolls'?" 

"Stuff  and  nonsense!"  said  the  lad;  ""no  harm  if  we 
have." 

In  a  little  while,  back  came  the  man  with  an  ox  so  fat 
and  big,  the  lad  had  never  seen  its  like,  and  he  gave  it 


•flfcr%W 


The  North   Wind  goes  over  the  sea.     Page  22 


one  blow  with  his  fist  under  the  ear,  and  down  it  fell  dead 
on  the  floor.  When  that,  was  done,  he  took  it  up  by  all 
the  four  legs  and  laid  it  on  the  glowing  embers,  and  turned 
it  and  twisted  it  about  till  it  was  burnt  brown  outside. 
After  that,  he  went  to  a  cupboard  and  took  out  a  great 
silver  dish,  and  laid  the  ox  on  it;  and  the  dish  was  so 
big  that  none  of  the  ox  hung  over  on  any  side.  This 
he  put  oa  the  table,  and  then  he  went  down  into  the 
cellar  and  fetched  a  cask  of  wine,  knocked  out  the  head, 
and  put  the  cask  on  the  table,  together  with  two  knives, 
which  were  each  six  feet  long.  When  this  was  done  he 
bade  them  go  and  sit  down  to  supper  and  eat.  So  they 
went,  the  lad  first  and  the  old  dame  after,  but  she  began 
to  whimper  and  wail,  and  to  wonder  how  she  should  ever 
use  such  knives.  But  her  son  seized  one,  and  began  to 
cut  slices  out  of  the  thigh  of  the  ox,  which  he  placed 
before  his  mother.  And  when  they  had  eaten  a  bit,  he 
took  up  the  cask  with  both  hands,  and  lifted  it  down  to 
the  floor;  then  he  told  his  mother  to  come  and  drink, 
but  it  was  still  so  high  she  couldn't  reach  up  to  it ;  so 
he  caught  her  up,  and  held  her  up  to  the  edge  of  the  cask 
while  she  drank  ;  as  for  himself,  he  clambered  up  and 
hung  down  like  a  cat  inside  the  cask  while  he  drank.  So 


33 


when  he  had  quenched  his  thirst,  he  took  up  the  cask  and 
put  it  back  on  the  table,  and  thanked  the  man  for  the, 
good  meal,  and  told  his  mother  to  come  and  thank  him 
too,  and,  a-feared  though  she  was,  she  dared  do  nothing 
else  but  thank  the  man.  Then  the  lad  sat  down  again 
alongside  the  man  and  began  to  gossip,  and  after  they  had 
sat  a  while  the  man  said : 

"Well !  I  must  just  go  and  get  a  bit  of  supper  too;"' 
and  so  he  went  to  the  table  and  ate  up  the  whole  ox — .- 
hoofs,  and  horns,  and  all — and  drained  the  cask  to  the 
last  drop,  and  then  went  back  and  sat  on  the  bench. 

"As  for  beds,"  he  said,  "I  don't  know  what's  to  be 
done.  I've  only  got  one  bed  and  a  cradle  ;  but  we  could 
get  on  pretty  well  if  you  would  sleep  in  the  cradle,  and 
then  your  mother  might  lie  in  the  bed  yonder." 

"Thank  you  kindly,  that'll  do  nicely,"  said  the  lad; 
and  with  that  he  pulled  off  his  clothes  and  lay  down  in 
the  cradle;  but,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  it  was  quite  as  big 
as  a  four-poster.  As  for  the  old  dame,  she  had  to  follow 
the  man  who  showed  her  to  bed,  though  she  was  out  of 
her  wits  for  fear. 

"Well!"  thought  the  lad  to  himself,  "'twill  never  do 
to  go  to  sleep  yet.  I'd  best  lie  awake  and  listen  how 


34 


things  go  as  the  night  wears  on." 

So,  after  a  while,  the  man  began  to  talk  to  the  old 
dame,  and  at  last  he  said  : 

"We  two  might  live  here  so  happily  together,  could 
we  only  be  rid  of  this  son  of  yours." 

"  But  do  you  know  how  to  settle  him  ?  Is  that  what 
you're  thinking  of?"  said  she. 

" Nothing  easier,"  .said  he;  at  any  rate  he  would  try. 
He  would  just  say  he  wished  the  old  dame  would  stay 
and  keep  house  for  him  a  day  or  two,  and  then  he  would 
take  the  lad  out  with  him  up  the  hill  to  quarry  corner 
stones,  and  roll  down  a  great  rock  on  him.  All  this  the 
lad  lay  and  listened  to. 

Next  day  the  Troll — for  it  was  a  Troll  as  clear  as 
day — asked  if  the  old  dame  would  stay  and  keep  house 
for  him  a  few  days;  and  as  the  day  went  on  he  took  a 
great  iron  crowbar,  and  asked  the  lad  if  he  had  a  mind 
to  go  with  him  up  the  hill  and  quarry  a  few  corner-stones. 
With  all  his  heart,  he  said,  and  went  with  him;  and  so, 
after  they  had  split  a  few  stones,  the  Troll  wanted  him 
to  go  down  below  and  look  after  cracks  in  the  rock; 
and  while  he  was  doing  this  the  Troll  worked  away,  and 
wearied  himself  with  his  crowbar  till  he  moved  a  whole 


35 


crag  out  of  its  bed,  which  came  rolling  right  down  on  the 
place  where  the  lad  was;  but  he  held  it  up  till  he  could 
get  on  one  side,  and  then  let  it  roll  on. 

"Oh !"  said  the  lad  to  the  7>0//,  "now  I  see  what  you 
mean  to  do  with  me.  You  want  to  crush  me  to  death ; 
so  just  go  down  yourself  and  look  after  the  cracks  and 
refts  in  the  rock,  and  I'll  stand  up  above." 

The  Troll  did  not  dare  to  do  otherwise  than  the  lad 
bade  him,  and  the  end  of  it  was  that  the  lad  rolled  down 
a  great  rock,  which  fell  upon  the  Troll  and  broke  one  of 
his  thighs. 

"  Well !  you  are  in  a  sad  plight,"  said  the  lad,  as  he 
strode  down,  lifted  up  the  rock, 'and  set  the  man  free. 
After  that  he  had  to  put  him  on  his  back  and  carry  him 
home ;  so  he  ran  with  him  as  fast  as  a  horse,  and  shook 
him  so  that  the  Troll  screamed  and  screeched  as  if  a  knife 
were  run  into  him.  And  when  he  got  home,  they  had  to 
put  the  Troll  to  bed,  and  there  he  lay  in  a  sad  pickle. 

When  the  night  wore  on,  the  Troll  began  to  talk  to 
the  old  dame  again,  and  to  wonder  how  ever  they  could 
be  rid  of  the  lad. 

"Well,"  said  the  old  dame,  "if  you  can't  hit  on  a 
plan  to  get  rid  of  him,  I'm  sure  I  can't." 


36 


:<  Let  me  see,"  said  the  Troll;  "  I've  got  twelve  lions 
in  a  garden  .;  if  they  could  only  get  hold  of  the  lad,  they'd 
soon  tear  him  to  pieces." 

So  the  old  dame  said  it  would  be  easy  enough  to  get 
him  there.  She  would  sham  sick,  and  say  she  felt  so  poorly, 
nothing  would  do  her  any  good  but  lion's  milk.  All  that 
the  lad  lay  and  listened  to;  and  when  he  got  up  in  the 
morning  his  mother  said  she  was  worse  than  she  looked, 
and  she  thought  she  should  never  be  right  again  unless  she 
could  get  some  lion's  milk. 

"Then  I'm  afraid  you'll  be  poorly  a  long  time,  mother," 
said  the  lad,  ufor  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  where  any  is  to 
be  got." 

"Oh !  if  that  be  all,"  said  the  Troll,  "there's  no  lack 
of  lion's  milk,  if  we  only  had  the  man  to  fetch  it;"  and 
then  he  went  on  to  say  how  his  brother  had  a  garden  with 
twelve  lions  in  it,  and  how  the  lad  might  have  the  key  if  he 
had  a  mind  to  milk  the  lions.  So  the  lad  took  the  key  and 
a  milking  pail,  and  strode  off;  and  when  he  unlocked  the 
gate  and  got  into  the  garden,  there  stood  all  the  twelve 
lions  on  their  hind-paws,  rampant  and  roaring  at  him.  But 
the  lad  laid  hold  of  the  biggest,  and  led  him  about  by  the 
fore-paws,  and  dashed  him  against  stocks  and  stones  till 


37 


there  wasn't  a  bit  of  him  left  but  the  two  paws.  So  when 
the  rest  saw  that,  they  were  so  afraid  that  they  crept  up  and 
lay  at  his  feet  like  so  many  curs.  After  that  they  followed 
him  about  wherever  he  went,  and  when  he  got  home,  they 
lay  down  outside  the  house,  with  their  fore-paws  on  the 
door  sill. 

"Now,  mother,  you'll  soon  be  well,"  said  the  lad,  when 
he  went  in,  "for  here  is  the  lion's  milk." 

He  had  just  milked  a  drop  in  the  pail. 

But  the  Troll,  as  he  lay  in  bed,  swore  it  was  all  a 
lie.  He  was  sure  the  lad  was  not  the  man  to  milk  lions. 

When  the  lad  heard  that,  he  forced  the  Troll  to  get 
out  of  bed,  threw  open  the  door,  and  all  the  lions  rose 
up  and  seized  the  Troll^  and  at  last  the  lad  had  to  make 
them  leave  their  hold. 

That  night  the  Troll  began  to  talk  to  the  old  dame 
again.  "I'm  sure  I  can't  tell  how  to  put  this  lad  out  of 
the  way — he  is  so  awfully  strong;  can't  you  think  of 
some  way?" 

"No,"  said  the  old  dame,  "if  you  can't  tell,  I'm  sure 
I  can't." 

"Well!"  said  the  2>0//,  "I  have  two  brothers  in  a 
castle;  they  are  twelve  times  as  strong  as  I  am,  and  that's 


why  I  was  turned  out  and  had  to  put  up  with  this  farm. 
They  hold  that  castle,  and  round  it  there  is  an  orchard 
with  apples  in  it,  and  whoever  eats  those  apples  sleeps 
for  three  days  and  three  nights.  If  we  could  only  get 
the  lad  to  go  for  the  fruit,  he  wouldn't  be  able  to  keep 
from  tasting  the  apples,  and  as  soon  as  ever  he  fell  asleep 
my  brothers  would  tear  him  in  pieces." 

The  old  dame  said  she  would  sham  sick,  and  say  she 
could  never  be  herself  again  unless  she  tasted  those  apples  ; 
for  she  had  set  her  heart  on  them. 

All  this  the  lad  lay  and  listened  to. 

When  the  morning  came  the  old  dame  was  so  poorly 
that  she  couldn't  utter  a  word  but  groans  and  sighs.  She 
was  sure  she  -should  never  be  well  again,  unless  she  had 
some  of  those  apples  that  grew  in  the  orchard  near  the 
castle  where  the  man's  brothers  lived;  only  she  had  no 
one  to  send  for  them. 

Oh !  the  lad  was  ready  to  go  that  instant ;  but  the 
eleven  lions  went  with  him.  So  when  he  came  to  the 
orchard,  he  climbed  up  into  the  apple  tree  and  ate  as 
many  apples  as  he  could,  and  he  had  scarce  got  down 
before  he  fell  into  a  deep  sleep ;  but  the  lions  all  lay 
round  him  in  a  ring.  The  third  day  came  the 


39 


brothers,  but  they  did  not  come  in  man's  shape.  They 
came  snorting  like  man-eating  steeds,  and  wondered  who 
it  was  that  dared  to  be  there,  and  said  they  would  tear 
him  to  pieces,  so  small  that  there  should  not  be  a  bit 
of  him  left.  But  up  rose  the  lions  and  tore  the  Trolls 
into  small  pieces,  so  that  the  place  looked  as  if  a  dung 
heap  had  been  tossed  about  it ;  and  when  they  had 
finished  the  Trolls  they  lay  down  again.  The  lad  did 
not  wake  till  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  when  he  got  on 
his  knees  and  rubbed  the  sleep  out  of  his  eyes,  he  began 
to  wonder  what  had  been  going  on,  when  he  saw  the 
marks  of  hoofs.  But  when  he  went  towards  the  castle, 
a  maiden  looked  out  of  a  window  who  had  seen  all  that 
had  happened,  and  she -said: 

"You  may  thank  your  stars  you  weren't  in  that 
tussle,  else  you  must  have  lost  your  life." 

"What!  I  lose  my  life!  No  iear  of  that,  I  think," 
said  the  lad. 

So  she  begged  him  to  come  in,  that  she  might  talk 
with  him,  for  she  hadn't  seen  a  Christian  soul  ever  since 
she  came  there.  But  when  she  opened  the  door  the 
lions  wanted  to  go  in  too,  but  she  got  so  frightened  that 
she  began  to  scream,  and  so  the  lad  let  them  lie  outside. 


And  flitted  array  as  far  as  they  could  from  the  Castle  that  lay  East 
of  the  Sun  and  IVcst  of  the  Moon.     Page  27 


Then  the  two  talked  and  talked,  and  the  lad  asked  how 
it  came  that  she,  who  was  so  lovely,  could  put  up  with  those 
ugly  Trolls.  She  never  wished  it,  she  said ;  'twas  quite 
against  her  will.  They  had  seized  her  by  force,  and  she 
was  the  King  of  Arabia's  daughter.  So  they  talked  on,  and 
at  last  she  asked  him  what  he  would  do ;  whether  she 
should  go  back  home,  or  whether  he  would  have  her  to 
wife.  Of  course  he  would  have  her,  and  she  shouldn't  go 
home. 

After  that  they  went  round  the  castle,  and  at  last  they 
came  to  a  great  hall,  where  the  Trolls'  two  great  swords 
hung  high  up  on  the  wall. 

"  I  wonder  if  you  are  man  enough  to  wield  one  of 
these,"  said  the  Princess^ 

"Who?  I?"  said  the  lad.  "T would  be  a  pretty 
thing  if  I  couldn't  wield  one  of  these." 

With  that  he  put  two  or  three  chairs  one  a-top  of  the 
other,  jumped  up,  and  touched  the  biggest  sword  with  his 
finger  tips,  tossed  it  up  in  the  air,  and  caught  it  again  by 
the  hilt ;  leapt  down,  and  at  the  same  time  dealt  such  a 
blow  with  it  on  the  floor  that  the  whole  hall  shook.  After 
he  had  thus  got  down,  he  thrust  the  sword  under  his  arm 
and  carried  it  about  with  him. 


41 


So,  when  they  had  lived  a  little  while  in  the  castle,  the 
Princess  thought  she  ought  to  go  home  to  her  parents,  and 
let  them  know  what  had  become  of  her  ;  so  they  loaded  a 
ship,  and  she  set  sail  from  the  castle. 

After  she  had  gone,  and  the  lad  had  wandered  about  a 
little,  he  called  to  mind  that  he  had  been  sent  out  on  an 
errand  thither,  and  had  come  to  fetch  something  for  his 
mother's  health  ;  and  though  he  said  to  himself,  "  After  all 
the  old  dame  was  not  so  bad  but  she's  all  right  by  this, 
time  " — still  he  thought  he  ought  to  go  and  just  see  how 
she  was.  So  he  went  and  found  both  the  man  and  his 
mother  quite  fresh  and  hearty. 

"  What  wretches  you  are  to  live  in  this  beggarly  hut," 
said  the  lad.  "  Come  with  me  up  to  my  castle,  and  you 
shall  see  what  a  fine  fellow  I  am." 

Well  !  they  were  both  ready  to  go,  and  on  the  way  his 
mother  talked  to  him,  and  asked  how  it  was  he  had  got 
so  strong. 

"  If  you  must  know  it  came  of  that  blue  belt  which  lay 
on  the  hill-side  that  time  when  you  and  I  were  out  beg 
ging,"  said  the  lad. 

"  Have  you  got  it  still  ?  "  asked  she. 

"  Yes  " — he  had.      It  was  tied  round  his  waist. 


"  Might  she  see  it  ?  " 

"Yes" — she  might;  and  with  that  he  pulled  open  his 
waistcoat  and  shirt  to  show  it  her. 

Then  she  seized  it  with  both  hands,  tore  it  off,  and 
twisted  it  round  her  fist. 

"  Now,"  she  cried,  "  what  shall  I  do  with  such  a  wretch 
as  you  ?  I'll  just  give  you  one  blow,  and  dash  your  brains 
out!" 

"  Far  too  good  a  death  for  such  a  scamp,"  said  the 
Troll.  "No!  let's  first  burn  out  his  eyes,  and  then  turn 
him  adrift  in  a  little  boat." 

So  they  burned  out  his  eyes  and  turned  him  adrift,  in 
spite  of  his  prayers  and  tears ;  but,  as  the  boat  drifted,  the 
lions  swam  after,  and  at  last  they  laid  hold  of  it  and  dragged 
it  ashore  on  an  island,  and  placed  the  lad  under  a  fir  tree. 
They  caught  game  for  him,  and  they  plucked  the  birds  and 
made  him  a  bed  of  down ;  but  he  was  forced  to  eat  his  meat 
raw  and  he  was  blind.  At  last,  one  day  the  biggest  lion  was 
chasing  a  hare  which  was  blind,  for  it  ran  straight  over  stock 
and  stone,  and  the  end  was,  it  ran  right  up  against  a  fir- 
stump  and  tumbled  head  over  heels  across  the  field  right 
into  a  spring ;  but  lo !  when  it  came  out  of  the  spring  it  saw 
its  way  quite  plain,  and  so  saved  its  life. 


43 


"  So,  so  !  "  thought  the  lion,  and  went  and  dragged  the 
lad  to  the  spring,  and  dipped  him  over  head  and  ears  in  it. 
So,  when  he  had  got  his  sight  again,  he  went  down  to  the 
shore  and  made  signs  to  the  lions  that  they  should  all  lie 
close  together  like  a  raft ;  then  he  stood  upon  their  backs 
while  they  swam  with  him  to  the  mainland.  When  he  had 
reached  the  shore  he  went  up  into  a  birchen  copse,  and 
made  the  lions  lie  quiet.  Then  he  stole  up  to  the  castle, 
like  a  thief,  to  see  if  he  couldn't  lay  hands  on  his  belt ;  and 
when  he  got  to  the  door,  he  peeped  through  the  keyhole, 
and  there  he  saw  his  belt  hanging  up  over  a  door  in  the  kit 
chen.  So  he  crept  softly  in  across  the  floor,  for  there  was 
no  one  there ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  got  hold  of  the  belt,  he 
began  to  kick  and  stamp  about  as  though  he  were  mad.  Just 
then  his  mother  came  rushing  out : 

"  Dear  heart,  my  darling  little  boy !  do  give  me  the  belt 
again,"  she  said. 

"Thank  you  kindly,"  said  he.  "Now  you  shall  have 
the  doom  you  passed  on  me,"  and  he  fulfillecl  it  on  the  spot. 
When  the  old  Troll  heard  that,  he  came  in  and  begged  and 
prayed  so  prettily  that  he  might  not  be  smitten  to  death. 

"Well,  you  may  live,"  said  the  lad,  "but  you  shall 
undergo  the  same  punishment  you  gave  me ;  "  and  so  he 


44 


burned  out  the  Troll's  eyes,  and  turned  him  adrift  on  the 
sea  in  a  little  boat,  but  he  had  no  lions  to  follow  him. 

Now  the  lad  was  all  alone,  and  he  went  about  longing 
and  longing  for  the  Princess ;  at  last  he  could  bear  it  no 
longer  ;  he  must  set  out  to  seek  her,  his  heart  was  so  bent  on 
having  her.  So  he  loaded  four  ships  and  set  sail  for  Arabia. 

For  some  time  they  had  fair  wind  and  fine  weather,  but 
after  that  they  lay  wind-bound  under  a  rocky  island.  So 
the  sailors  went  ashore  and  strolled  about  to  spend  the  time, 
and  there  they  found  a  huge  egg,  almost  as  big  as  a  little 
house.  So  they  began  to  knock  it  about  with  large  stones, 
but,  after  all,  they  couldn't  crack  the  shell.  Then  the  lad 
came  up  with  his  sword  to  see  what  all  the  noise  was  about, 
and  when  he  saw  the  egg,  he  thought  it  a  trifle  to  crack  it ; 
so  he  gave  it  one  blow  and  the  egg  split,  and  out  came  a 
chicken  as  big  as  an  elephant. 

"  Now  we  have  done  wrong,"  said  the  lad  ;  "  this  can 
cost  us  all  our  lives  ;  "  and  then  he  asked  his  sailors  if  they 
were  men  enough  to  sail  to  Arabia  in  four-and-twenty 
hours  if  they  got  a  fine  breeze.  Yes  !  they  were  good  to 
do  that,  they  said,  so  they  set  sail  with  a  fine  breeze,  and 
got  to  Arabia  in  three-and- twenty  hours.  As  soon  as 
they  landed,  the  lad  ordered  all  the  sailors  to  go  and  bury 


45 


themselves  up  to  the  eyes  in  a  sandhill,  so  that  they  could 
barely  see  the  ships.  The  lad  and  the  captains  climbed 
a  high  crag  and  sate  down  under  a  fir. 

In  a  little  while  came  a  great  bird  flying  with  an  island 
in  its  claws,  and  let  it  fall  down  on  the  fleet,  and  sunk  every 
ship.  After  it  had  done  that,  it  flew  up  to  the  sandhill  and 
flapped  its  wings,  so  that  the  wind  nearly  took  off  the  heads 
of  the  sailors,  and  it  flew  past  the  fir  with  such  force  that  it 
turned  the  lad  right  about,  but  he  was  ready  with  his  sword, 
and  gave  the  bird  one  blow  and  brought  it  down  dead. 

After  that  he  went  to  the  town,  where  every  one  was 
glad  because  the  King  had  got  his  daughter  back  ;  but  now 
the  King  had  hidden  her  away  somewhere  himself,  and 
promised  her  hand  as  a  reward  to  any  one  who  could  find 
her,  and  this  though  she  was  betrothed  before.  Now  as 
the  lad  went  along  he  met  a  man  who  had  white  bear-skins 
for  sale,  so  he  bought  one  of  the  hides  and  put  it  on ;  and 
one  of  the  captains  was  to  take  an  iron  chain  and  lead  him 
about,  and  so  he  went  into  the  town  and  began  to  play 
pranks.  At  last  the  news  came  to  the  Kings  ears,  that 
there  never  had  been  such  fun  in  the  town  before,  for  here 
was  a  white  bear  that  danced  and  cut  capers  just  as  it  was 
bid.  So  a  messenger  came  to  say  the  bear  must  come  to 


46 


the  castle  at  once,  for  the  King  wanted  to  see  its  tricks.  So 
when  it  got  to  the  castle  every  one  was  afraid,  for  such  a 
beast  they  had  never  seen  before ;  but  the  captain  said  there 
was  no  danger  unless  they  laughed  at  it.  They  mustn't 
do  that,  else  it  would  tear  them  to  pieces.  When  the 
King  heard  that,  he  warned  all  the  court  not  to  laugh. 
But  while  the  fun  was  going  on,  in  came  one  of  the  King's 
maids,  and  began  to  laugh  and  make  game  of  the  bear,. and 
the  bear  flew  at  her  and  tore  her,  so  that  there  was  scarce  a 
rag  of  her  left.  Then  all  the  court  began  to  bewail,  and 
the  captain  most  of  all. 

"Stuff  and  nonsense,"  said  the  King\  "she's  only  a 
maid,  besides  it's  more  my  affair  than  yours." 

When  the  show  was  over,  it  was  late  at  night.  "  It's 
no  good  your  going  away,  when  it's  so  late,"  said  the  King. 
"The  bear  had  best  sleep  here." 

"Perhaps  it  might  sleep  in  the  ingle  by  the  kitchen 
fire,"  said  the  captain. 

"Nay,"  said  the  King,  "it  shall  sleep  up  here,  and  it 
shall  have  pillows  and  cushions  to  sleep  on."  So  a  whole 
heap  of  pillows  and  cushions  was  brought,  and  the  captain 
had  a  bed  in  a  side  room. 

But  at  midnight  the  King  came  with  a  lamp  in  his  hand 


47 


and  a  big  bunch  of 
keys,  and  carried 
off  the  white  bear. 
He  passed  along 
gallery  after  gal 
lery  through 
doors  and  rooms, 
up-stairs  and 
down-stairs,  till  at 
last  he  came  to  a 
pier  which  ran  out 
into  the  sea.  Then 
the  King  began  to 
pull  and  haul  at 
posts  and  pins,  this  one  up  and  that  one  down,  till  at  last 
a  little  house  floated  up  to  the  water's  edge.  There  he 
kept  his  daughter,  for  she  was  so  dear  to  him  that  he  had 
hid  her,  so  that  no  one  could  find  her  out.  He  left  the 
white  bear  outside  while  he  went  in  and  told  her  how  it  had 
danced  and  played  its  pranks.  She  said  she  was  afraid,  and 
dared  not  look  at  it ;  but  he  talked  her  over,  saying  there 
was  no  danger  if  she  only  wouldn't  laugh.  So  they  brought 
the  bear  in,  and  locked  the  door,  and  it  danced  and  played 


48 


The  Lad  in  the  Bear's  skin,  and  the  King  of  Arabia's  daughter.      Page  49 


its  tricks  ;  but  just  when  the  fun  was  at  its  height,  the 
Princess  s  maid  began  to  laugh.  Then  the  lad  flew  at  her 
and  tore  her  to  bits,  and  the  Princess  began  to  cry  and  sob. 

"Stuff  and  nonsense,"  cried  the  King\  "all  this  fuss 
about  a  maid !  Fll  get  you  just  as  good  a  one  again.  But 
now  I  think  the  bear  had  best  stay  here  till  morning,  for 
I  don't  care  to  have  to  go  and  lead  it  along  all  those 
galleries  and  stairs  at  this  time  of  night." 

"Well!"  said  the  Princess^  "if  it  sleeps  here,  I'm 
sure  I  won't." 

But  just  then  the  bear  curled  himself  up  and  lay 
down  by  the  stove ;  and  it  was  settled  at  last  that  the 
Princess  should  sleep  there  too,  with  a  light  burning. 
But  as  soon  as  the  King  had  well  gone,  the  white  bear 
came  and  begged  her  to  undo  his  collar.  The  Princess 
was  so  scared  she  almost  swooned  away ;  but  she  felt 
about  till  she  found  the  collar,  and  she  had  scarce  undone 
it  before  the  bear  pulled  his  head  off.  Then  she  knew 
him  again,  and  was  so  glad  there  was  no  end  to  her  joy, 
and  she  wanted  to  tell  her  father  at  once  that  her  deliverer 
was  come.  But  the  lad  would  not  hear  of  it ;  he  would 
earn  her  once  more,  he  said.  So  in  the  morning  when 
they  heard  the  King  rattling  at  the  posts  outside,  the 


49 


lad  drew  on  the  hide  and  lay  down  by  the  stove. 
"  Well,  has  it  lain  still  ?  "  the  king  asked. 
"  I  should  think  so,"  said  the  Princess  ;  "it  hasn't  so 
much  as  turned  or  stretched  itself  once." 

When  they  got  up  to  the  castle  again,  the  captain  took 
the  bear  and  led  it  away,  and  then  the  lad  threw  off  the 
hide,  and  went  to  a  tailor  and  ordered  clothes  fit  for  a 
prince ;  and  when  they  were  fitted  on  he  went  to  the  King, 
and  said  he  wanted  to  find  the  Princess. 

"You're  not 
the  first  who  has 
wished  the  same 
thing,"  said  the 
King,  "but  they 
have  all  lost  their 
lives  ;  for  if  any 
one  who  tries  can't 
find  her  in  four- 
and-twenty  hours 
his  life  is  forfeited." 
Yes ;  the  lad 
knew  all  that.  Still 
he  wished  to  try, 


and  if  he  couldn't  find  her,  'twas  his  look-out.  Now  in  the 
castle  there  was  a  band  that  played  sweet  tunes,  and  there 
were  fair  maids  to  dance  with,  and  so  the  lad  danced  away. 

When  twelve  hours  were  gone,  the  King  said  : 

"  I  pity  you  with  all  my  heart.  You're  so  poor  a  hand 
at  seeking  ;  you  will  surely  lose  your  life." 

"  Stuff!  "  said  the  lad  ;  "  while  there's  life  there's  hope! 
So  long  as  there's  breath  in  the  body  there's  no  fear  ;  we 
have  lots  of  time ! "  and  so  he  went  on  dancing  till  there  was 
only  one  hour  left. 

Then  he  said  he  would  begin  to  search. 

"  It's  no  use  now,"  said  the  King;  "  time's  up." 

"  Light  your  lamp  ;  out  with  your  big  bunch  of  keys," 
said  the  lad,  "and  follow  me  whither  I  wish  to  go.  There 
is  still  a  whole  hour  left." 

So  the  lad  went  the  same  way  which  the  King  had  led 
him  the  night  before,  and  he  bade  the  King  unlock  door 
after  door  till  they  came  down  to  the  pier  which  ran  out 
into  the  sea. 

"It's  all  no  use,  I  tell  you,"  said  the  King-,  "time's 
up,  and  this  will  only  lead  you  right  out  into  the  sea." 

"  Still  five  minutes  more,"  said  the  lad,  as  he  pulled 
and  pushed  at  the  posts  and  pins,  and  the  house  floated  up. 


"Now  the  time  is  up,"  bawled  the  King;  ucome 
hither,  headsman,  and  take  off  his  head." 

"  Nay,  nay  !  "  said  the  lad  ;  "  stop  a  bit,  there  are  still 
three  minutes  !  Out  with  the  key,  and  let  me  get  into  this 
house." 

But  there  stood  the  King  and  fumbled  with  his  keys,  to 
draw  out  the  time.  At  last  he  said  he  hadn't  any  key. 

"  Well,  if  you  haven't,  I  have"  said  the  lad,  as  he  gave 
the  door  such  a  kick  that  it  flew  to  splinters  inwards  on  the 
floor. 

At  the  door  the  Princess  met  him,  and  told  her  father 
this  was  her  deliverer,  on  whom  her  heart  was  set.  So  she 
had  him  ;  and  this  was  how  the  beggar  boy  came  to  marry 
the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Arabia. 


JNCE  upon  a  time,  there  was  a  fine  young  King 
who  was  married  to  the  loveliest  of  Queens. 
They  were  exceedingly  happy,  all  but  for  one 
thing — they  had  no  children.  And  this  often  made  them 
both  sad,  because  the  Queen  wanted  a  dear  little  child  to 
play  with,  and  the  King  wanted  an  heir  to  the  kingdom. 

One  day  the  Queen  went  out  for  a  walk  by  herself, 
and  she  met  an  ugly  old  woman.  The  old  woman  was 
just  like  a  witch :  but  she  was  a  nice  kind  of  witch,  not 
the  cantankerous  sort.  She  said,  "  Why  do  you  look  so 
doleful,  pretty  lady?"  "It's  no  use  my  telling  you," 
answered  the  Queen^  "  nobody  in  the  world  can  help  me.'* 
"Oh,  you  never  know,"  said  the  old  woman,  "Just  you 
let  me  hear  what  your  trouble  is,  and  maybe  I  can  put 
things  right." 

"My  dear  woman,  how  can  you?"  said  the  Queen : 
and  she  told  her,  "The  King  and  I  have  no  children: 
that's  why  I  am  so  distressed."  "Well,  you  needn't  be," 
said  the  old  witch.  "  I  can  set  that  right  in  a  twinkling, 
if  only  you  will  do  exactly  as  I  tell  you.  Listen.  To 
night,  at  sunset,  take  a  little  drinking-cup  with  two  ears " 


53 


(that  is,  handles),  "and  put  it  bottom  upwards  on  the 
ground  in  the  north-west  corner  of  your  garden.  Then 
go  and  lift  it  up  to-morrow  morning  at  sunrise,  and  you 
will  find  two  roses  underneath  it,  one  red  and  one  white. 
If  you  eat  the  red  rose,  a  little  boy  will  be  born  to  you  : 
if  you  eat  the  white  rose,  a  little  girl  will  be  sent.  But, 
whatever  you  do,  you  mustn't  eat  both  the  roses,  or 
you'll  be  sorry, — that  I  warn  you  !  Only  one  :  remember 
that!"  "Thank  you  a  thousand  times,"  said  the  Queeny 

"this  is  good  news 
indeed!"  And  she 
wanted  to  give  the 
old  woman  her 
gold  ring  ;  but 
the  old  woman 
wouldn't  take  it. 

So  the  Queen 
went  home  and  did 
as  she  had  been 
told  :  and  next 
morning  at  sunrise 
she  stole  out  into 
the  garden  and 


lifted  up  the  little  drinking-cup.  She  was  surprised,  for 
indeed  she  had  hardly  expected  to  see  anything.  But 
there  were  the  two  roses  underneath  it,  one  red  and  one 
white.  And  now  she  was  dreadfully  puzzled,  for  she  did 
not  know  which  to  choose.  "  If  I  choose  the  red  one," 
she  thought,  "and  I  have  a  little  boy,  he  may  grow  up 
and  go  to  the  wars  and  get  killed.  But  if  I  choose  the 
white  one,  and  have  a  little  girl,  she  will  stay  at  home 
awhile  with  us,  but  later  on  she  will  get  married  and  go 
away  and  leave  us.  So,  whichever  it  is,  we  may  be  left 
with  no  child  after  all." 

However,  at  last  she  decided  on  the  white  rose,  and 
she  ate  it.  And  it  tasted  so  sweet,  that  she  took  and  ate 
the  red  one  too :  without  ever  remembering  the  old 
woman's  solemn  warning. 

Some  time  after  this,  the  King  went  away  to  the  wars  : 
and  while  he  was  still  away,  the  Queen  became  the  mother 
of  twins.  One  was  a  lovely  baby-boy,  and  the  other  was 
a  Ltrtdwormy  or  Serpent.  She  was  terribly  frightened 
when  she  saw  the  Lindworm^  but  he  wriggled  away  out 
of  the  room,  and  nobody  seemed  to  have  seen  him  but 
herself:  so  that  she  thought  it  must  have  been  a  dream. 
The  baby  Prince  was  so  beautiful  and  so  healthy,  the 


55 


Queen  was  full  of  joy  :  and  likewise,  as  you  may  suppose, 
was  the  King  when  he  came  home  and  found  his  son  and 
heir.  Not  a  word  was  said  by  anyone  about  the  Lind- 
worm  :  only  the  Queen  thought  about  it  now  and  then. 

Many  days  and  years  passed  by,  and  the  baby  grew  up 
into  a  handsome  young  Prince,  and  it  was  time  that  he 
got  married.  The  King  sent  him  off  to  visit  foreign 
kingdoms,  in  the  Royal  coach,  with  six  white  horses,  to 
look  for  a  Princess  grand  enough  to  be  his  wife.  But 
at  the  very  first  cross-roads,  the  way  was  stopped  by  an 
enormous  Lindworm,  enough  to  frighten  the  bravest.  He 
lay  in  the  middle  of  the  road  with  a  great  wide  open 
mouth,  and  cried,  "A  bride  for  me  before  a  bride  for 
you  ! "  Then  the  Prince  made  the  coach  turn  round  and 
try  another  road  :  but  it  was  all  no  use.  For,  at  the 
first  cross- ways,  there  lay  the  Lindworm  again,  crying 
out,  "  A  bride  for  me  before  a  bride  for  you ! "  So  the 
Prince  had  to  turn  back  home  again  to  the  Castle,  and 
give  up  his  visits  to  the  foreign  kingdoms.  And  his 
mother,  the  Queen,  had  to  confess  that  what  the  Lindworm 
said  was  true.  For  he  was  really  the  eldest  of  her  twins : 
and  so  he  ought  to  have  a  wedding  first. 

There  seemed  nothing  for  it  but  to  find  a  bride  for  the 


She  saw  the  Lindworm  for  the  first  time  as  he  came  in  and 
stood  by   her  side.     Page   61 


Lindworm,  if  his  younger  brother,  the  Prince,  were  to  be 
married  at  all.  So  the  King  wrote  to  a  distant  country, 
and  asked  for  a  Princess  to  marry  his  son  (but,  of  course, 
he  didn't  say  which  son),  and  presently  a  Princess  arrived. 
But  she  wasn't  allowed  to  see  her  bridegroom  until  he 
stood  by  her  side  in  the  great  hall  and  was  married  to 
her,  and  then,  of  coursej  it  was  too  late  for  her  to  say  she 
wouldn't  have  him.  But  next  morning  the  Princess  had 
disappeared.  The  Lindworm  lay  sleeping  all  alone  :  and 
it  was  quite  plain  that  he  had  eaten  her. 

A  little  while  after,  the  Prince  decided  that  he  might 
now  go  journeying  again  in  search  of  a  Princess.  And 
off  he  drove  in  the  Royal  chariot  with  the  six  white 
horses.  But  at  the  first  cross- ways,  there  lay  the  Lind 
worm,  crying  with  his  great  wide  open  mouth,  "A  bride 
for  me  before  a  bride  for  you !  "  So  the  carriage  tried 
another  road,  and  the  same  thing  happened,  and  they  had 
to  turn  back  again  this  time,  just  as  formerly.  And  the 
King  wrote  to  several  foreign  countries,  to  know  if  anyone 
would  marry  his  son.  At  last  another  Princess  arrived, 
this  time  from  a  very  far  distant  land.  And,  of  course, 
she  was  not  allowed  to  see  her  future  husband  before  the 
wedding  took  place, — and  then,  lo  and  behold !  it  was 


57 


the  Lindworm  who  stood  at  her  side.  And  next  morning 
the  Princess  had  disappeared :  and  the  Lindworm  lay 
sleeping  all  alone;  and  it  was  quite  clear  that  he  had 
eaten  her. 

By  and  by  the  Prince  started  on  his  quest  for  the  third 
time :  and  at  the  first  cross-roads  there  lay  the  Line/worm 
with  his  great  wide  open  mouth,  demanding  a  bride  as 
before.  And  the  Prince  went  straight  back  to  the  castle, 
and  told  the  King:  "You  must  find  another  bride  for 
my  elder  brother." 

"  I  don't  know  where  I  am  to  find  her,"  said  the  King, 
"  I  have  already  made  enemies  of  two  great  Kings  who 
sent  their  daughters  here  as  brides :  and  I  have  no  notion 
how  I  can  obtain  a  third  lady.  People  are  beginning  to 
say  strange  things,  and  I  am  sure  no  Princess  will  dare  to 
come." 

Now,  down  in  a  little  cottage  near  a  wood,  there  lived 
the  Kings  shepherd,  an  old  man  with  his  only  daughter. 
And  the  King  came  one  day  and  said  to  him,  "  Will  you 
give  me  your  daughter  to  marry  my  son  the  Lindworm  f 
And  I  will  make  you  rich  for  the  rest  of  your  life." — 
"No,  sire,"  said  the  shepherd,  "that  I  cannot  do.  She 
is  my  only  child,  and  I  want  her  to  take  care  of  me  when 


I  am  old.  Besides,  if  the  Lindworm  would  not  spare  two 
beautiful  Princesses,  he  won't  spare  her  either.  He  will 
just  gobble  her  up  :  and  she  is  much  too  good  for  such 
a  fate/' 

But  the  King  wouldn't  take  "  No"  for  an  answer  :  and 
at  last  the  old  man  had  to  give  in. 

Well,  when  the  old  shepherd  told  his  daughter  that 
she  was  to  be  Prince  Lindworrns  bride,  she  was  utterly 
in  despair.  She  went  out  into  the  woods,  crying  and 
wringing  her  hands  and  bewailing  her  hard  fate.  And 
while  she  wandered  to  and  fro,  an  old  witch-woman 
suddenly  appeared  out  of  a  big  hollow  oak-tree,  and 
asked  her,  "Why  do  you  look  so  doleful,  pretty  lass?" 
The  shepherd-girl  said,  "  It's  no  use  my  telling  you,  for 
nobody  in  the  world  can  help  me." — "Oh,  you  never 
know,"  said  the  old  woman.  "Just  you  let  me  hear  what 
your  trouble  is,  and  maybe  I  can  put  things  right." — 
"Ah,  how  can  you?"  said  the  girl,  "For  I  am  to  be 
married  to  the  Kings  eldest  son,  who  is  a  Lindworm. 
He  has  already  married  two  beautiful  Princesses,  and 
devoured  them  :  and  he  will  eat  me  too !  No  wonder  I 
am  distressed." 

"Well,  you  needn't  be,"  said  the  witchwoman.     "All 


59 


that  can  be  set  right  in  a  twinkling :  if  only  you  will  do 
exactly  as  I  tell  you.'*  So  the  girl  said  she  would. 

"Listen,  then,"  said  the  old  woman.  "After  the 
marriage  ceremony  is  over,  and  when  it  is  time  for  you  to 
retire  to  rest,  you  must  ask  to  be  dressed  in  ten  snow-white 
shifts.  And  you  must  then  ask  for  a  tub  full  of  lye," 
(that  is,  washing  water  prepared  with  wood-ashes)  "and 
a  tub  full  of  fresh  milk,  and  as  many  whips  as  a  boy  can 
carry  in  his  arms, — and  have  all  these  brought  into  your 
bed-chamber.  Then,  when  the  Lindworm  tells  you  to 
shed  a  shift,  do  you  bid  him  slough  a  skin.  And  when 
all  his  skins  are  off,  you  must  dip  the  whips  in  the  lye 
and  whip  him ;  next,  you  must  wash  him  in  the  fresh 
milk;  and,  lastly,  you  must  take  him  and  hold  him  in 
your  arms,  if  it's  only  for  one  moment." 

"  The  last  is  the  worst  notion — ugh!"  said  the  shep 
herd's  daughter,  and  she  shuddered  at  the  thought  of 
holding  the  cold,  slimy,  scaly  Lindworm. 

"Do  just  as  I  have  said,  and  all  will  go  well,"  said 
the  old  woman.  Then  she  disappeared  again  in  the  oak- 
tree. 

When  the  wedding-day  arrived,  the  girl  was  fetched 
in  the  Royal  chariot  with  the  six  white  horses,  and  taken 


60 


to  the  castle  to  be  decked  as  a  bride.  And  she  asked 
for  ten  snow-white  shifts  to  be  brought  her,  and  the  tub 
of  lye,  and  the  tub  of  milk,  and  as  many  whips  as  a  boy 
could  carry  in  his  arms.  The  ladies  and  courtiers  in  the 
castle  thought,  of  course,  that  this  was  some  bit  of  peasant 
superstition,  all  rubbish  and  nonsense.  But  the  King 
said,  "Let  her  have  whatever  she  asks  for.'*  She  was 
then  arrayed  in  the  most  wonderful  robes,  and  looked 
the  loveliest  of  brides.  She  was  led  to  the  hall  where 
the  wedding  ceremony  was  to  take  place,  and  she  saw 
the  Lindworm  for  the  first  time  as  he  came  in  and  stood 
by  her  side.  So  they  were  married,  and  a  great  wedding- 
feast  was  held,  a  banquet  fit  for  the  son  of  a  king. 

When  the  feast  was  over,  the  bridegroom  and  bride 
were  conducted  to  their  apartment,  with  music,  and 
torches,  and  a  great  procession.  As  soon  as  the  door 
was  shut,  the  Lindworm  turned  to  her  and  said,  u  Fair 
maiden,  shed  a  shift!"  The  shepherd's  daughter 
answered  him,  "Prince  Lindivorm,  slough  a  skin!" — 
"No  one  has  ever  dared  tell  me  to  do  that  before!"  said 
he. — "But  I  command  you  to  do  it  now!"  said  she. 
Then  he  began  to  moan  and  wriggle:  and  in  a  few 
minutes  a  long  snake-skin  lay  upon  the  floor  beside  him. 


61 


The  girl  drew  off  her  first  shift,  and  spread  it  on  top  of 
the  skin. 

The  Lindworm  said  again  to  her,  "  Fair  maiden,  shed 
a  shift." 

The  shepherd's  daughter  answered  him,  "Prince 
Lindworm^  slough  a  skin." 

"No  one  has  ever  dared  tell  me  to  do  that  before," 
said  he. — "But  I  command  you  to  do  it  now,"  said  she. 
Then  with  groans  and  moans  hexcast  off  the  second  skin : 
and  she  covered  it  with  her  second  shift.  The  Lindworm 
said  for  the  third  time,  "  Fair  maiden,  shed  a  shift."  The 
shepherd's  daughter  answered  him  again,  "Prince  Lind- 
worm,  slough  a  skin." — "No  one  has  ever  dared  tell  me 
to  do  that  before,"  said  he,  and  his  little  eyes  rolled 
furiously.  But  the  girl  was  not  afraid,  and  once  more 
she  commanded  him  to  do  as  she  bade. 

And  so  this  went  on  until  nine  Lindworm  skins  were 
lying  on  the  floor,  each  of  them  covered  with  a  snow- 
white  shift.  And  there  was  nothing  left  of  the  Lindworm 
but  a  huge  thick  mass,  most  horrible  to  see.  Then  the 
girl  seized  the  whips,  dipped  them  in  the  lye,  and 
whipped  him  as  hard  as  ever  she  could.  Next,  she 
bathed  him  all  over  in  the  fresh  milk.  Lastly,  she  dragged 


62 


him  on  to  the  bed  and  put  her  arms  round  him.  And 
she  fell  fast  asleep  that  very  moment. 

Next  morning  very  early,  the  King  and  the  courtiers 
came  and  peeped  in  through  the  keyhole.  They  wanted 
to  know  what  had  become  of  the  girl,  but  none  of  them 
dared  enter  the  room.  However,  in  the  end,  growing 
bolder,  they  opened  the  door  a  tiny  bit.  And  there  they 
saw  the  girl,  all  fresh  and  rosy,  and  beside  her  lay — no 
Lindworm^  but  the  handsomest  prince  that  any  one  could 
wish  to  see. 

The  King  ran  out  and  fetched  the  Queen :  and  after 
that,  there  were  such  rejoicings  in  the  castle  as  never 
were  known  before  or  since.  The  wedding  took  place 
alt  over  again,  much  finer  than  the  first,  with  festivals 
and  banquets  and  merrymakings  for  days  and  weeks.  No 
bride  was  ever  so  beloved  by  a  King  and  Queen  as  this 
peasant  maid  from  the  shepherd's  cottage.  There  was 
no  end  to  their  love  and  their  kindness  towards  her : 
because,  by  her  sense  and  her  calmness  and  her  courage, 
she  had  saved  their  son,  Prince  Lindworm. 


She  could  not  help  setting  the  door  a  little  ajar,  just  to  peep  in 
when— Po^!   out  flew  the  Moon.     Page   67 


THE    LASSIE    AND 
HER    GODMOTHER 

NCE  on  a  time  a  poor  couple  lived  far,  far  away 
in  a  great  wood.  The  wife  was  brought  to  bed, 
and  had  a  pretty  girl,  but  they  were  so  poor  they 

did  not  know  how  to  get  the  babe  christened,  for  they  had 

no  money  to  pay  the  parson's  fees.      So  one  day  the  father 

went  out  to  see  if  he  could  find  any  one  who  was  willing 

to    stand    for   the 

child  and  pay  the 

fees ;    but  though 

he   walked    about 

the  whole  day  from 

one  house  to  an 
other,  and  though 

all  said  they  were 

willing  enough  to 

stand,     no    one 

thought  himself 

bound  to  pay  the 

fees.     Now,  when 

he  was  going  home 


again,  a  lovely  lady  met  him,  dressed  so  fine,  and  she 
looked  so  thoroughly  good  and  kind  ;  she  offered  to  get 
the  babe  christened,  but  after  that,  she  said,  she  must  keep 
it  for  her  own.  The  husband  answered,  he  must  first  ask 
his  wife  what  she  wished  to  do ;  but  when  he  got  home 
and  told  his  story,  the  wife  said,  right  out,  "No!" 

Next  day  the  man  went  out  again,  but  no  one  would 
stand  if  they  had  to  pay  the  fees ;  and  though  he  begged 
and  prayed,  he  could  get  no  help.  And  again  as  he  went 
home,  towards  evening  the  same  lovely  lady  met  him, 
who  looked  so  sweet  and  good,  and  she  made  him  the 
same  offer.  So  he  told  his  wife  again  how  he  had  fared, 
and  this  time  she  said,  if  he  couldn't  get  any  one  to  stand 
for  his  babe  next  day,  they  must  just  let  the  lady  have  her 
way,  since  she  seemed  so  kind  and  good. 

The  third  day,  the  man  went  about,  but  he  couldn't 
get  any  one  to  stand;  and  so  when,  towards  evening, 
he  met  the  kind  lady  again,  he  gave  his  word  she  should 
have  the  babe  if  she  would  only  get  it  christened  at  the 
font.  So  next  morning  she  came  to  the  place  where  the 
man  lived,  followed  by  two  men  to  stand  godfathers,  took 
the  babe  and  carried  it  to  church,  and  there  it  was 
christened.  After  that  she  took  it  to  her  own  house,  and 


66 


there  the  little  girl  lived  with  her  several  years,  and  her 
Foster-mother  was  always  kind  and  friendly  to  her. 

Now,  when  the  Lassie  had  grown  to  be  big  enough  to 
know  right  and  wrong,  her  Foster-mother  got  ready  to  go 
on  a  journey. 

"You  have  my  leave,"  she  said,  "to  go  all  over  the 
house,  except  those  rooms  which  I  shew  you ; "  and 
when  she  had  said  that,  away  she  went. 

But  the  Lassie  could  not  forbear  just  to  open  one  of 
the  doors  a  little  bit,  when — POP  !  out  flew  a  Star, 

When  her  Foster-mother  came  back,  she  was  very 
vexed  to  find  that  the  star  had  flown  out,  and  she  got 
very  angry  with  her  Foster- daughter ',  and  threatened  to 
send  her  away  ;  but  the  child  cried  and  begged  so  hard 
that  she  got  leave  to  stay. 

Now,  after  a  while,  the  Foster-mother  had  to  go  on 
another  journey  ;  and,  before  she  went,  she  forbade  the 
Lassie  to  go  into  those  two  rooms  into  which  she  had 
never  been.  She  promised  to  beware  ;  but  when  she 
was  left  alone,  she  began  to  think  and  to  wonder  what 
there  could  be  in  the  second  room,  and  at  last  she  could 
not  help  setting  the  door  a  little  ajar,  just  to  peep  in, 
when — POP  !  out  flew  the  Moon. 


When  her  Foster-mother  came  home  and  found  the 
moon  let  out,  she  was  very  downcast,  and  said  to  the 
Lassie  she  must  go  away,  she  could  not  stay  with  her 
any  longer.  But  the  Lassie  wept  so  bitterly,  and  prayed 
so  heartily  for  forgiveness,  that  this  time,  too,  she  got 
leave  to  stay. 

Some  time  after,  the  Foster-mother  had  to  go  away 
again,  and  she  charged  the  Lassie,  who  by  this  time  was 
half  grown  up,  most  earnestly  that  she  mustn't  try  to  go 
into,  or  to  peep  into,  the  third  room.  But  when  her 
Foster-mother  had  been  gone  some  time,  and  the  Lassie 
was  weary  of  walking  about  alone,  all  at  once  she  thought, 
"Dear  me,  what  fun  it  would  be  just  to  peep  a  little  into 
that  third  room."  Then  she  thought  she  mustn't  do  it 
for  her  Foster-mother  s  sake  j  but  when  the  bad  thought 
came  the  second  time  she  could  hold  out  no  longer  ; 
come  what  might,  she  must  and  would  look  into  the 
room  ;  so  she  just  opened  the  door  a  tiny  bit,  when — 
POP  !  out  flew  the  Sun. 

But  when  her  Foster-mother  came  back  and  saw  that 
the  sun  had  flown  away,  she  was  cut  to  the  heart,  and 
said,  "Now,  there  was  no  help  for  it,  the  Lassie  must 
and  should  go  away  ;  she  couldn't  hear  of  her  staying 


68 


any  longer."  Now 
the  Lassie  cried 
her  eyes  out,  and 
begged  and  prayed 
so  prettily ;  but  it 
was  all  no  good. 

"Nay!  but  I 
must  punish  you!" 
said  her  Foster- 
mother-^  "but  you 
may  have  your 
choice,  either  to 
be  the  loveliest 
woman  in  the 
world,  and  not  to  be  able  to  speak,  or  to  keep  your  speech, 
and  to  be  the  ugliest  of  all  women ;  but  away  from  me 
you  must  go." 

And  the  Lassie  said,  "  I  would  sooner  be  lovely."  So 
she  became  all  at  once  wondrous  fair ;  but  from  that  day 
forth  she  was  dumb. 

So,  when  she  went  away  from  her  Foster-mother •,  she 
walked  and  wandered  through  a  great,  great  wood ;  but 
the  farther  she  went,  the  farther  off  the  end  seemed  to  be. 


69 


So,  when  the  evening  came  on,  she  clomb  up  into  a  tall 
tree,  which  grew  over  a  spring,  and  there  she  made  her 
self  up  to  sleep  that  night.  Close  by  lay  a  castle,  and 
from  that  castle  came  early  every  morning  a  maid  to  draw 
water  to  make  the  Prince's  tea,  from  the  spring  over 
which  the  Lassie  was  sitting.  So  the  maid  looked  down 
into  the  spring,  saw  the  lovely  face  in  the  water,  and 
thought  it  was  her  own ;  then  she  flung  away  the  pitcher, 
and  ran  home;  and,  when  she  got  there,  she  tossed 
up  her  head  and  said,  "If  I'm  so  pretty,  I'm  far  too  good 
to  go  and  fetch  water." 

So  another  maid  had  to  go  for  the  water,  but  the  same 
thing  happened  to  her ;  she  went  back  and  said  she  was 
far  too  pretty  and  too  good  to  fetch  water  from  the  spring 
for  the  Prince.  Then  the  Prince  went  himself,  for  he 
had  a  mind  to  see  what  all  this  could  mean.  So,  when 
he  reached  the  spring,  he  too  saw  the  image  in  the  water ; 
bjut  he  looked  up  at  once,  and  became  aware  of  the 
lovely  Lassie  who  sate  there  up  in  the  tree.  Then  he 
coaxed  her  down  and  took  her  home;  and  at  last  made 
up  his  mind  to  have  her  for  his  queen,  because  she 
was  so  lovely ;  but  his  mother,  who  was  still  alive,  was 
against  it. 


70 


"She  can't  speak,"  she  said,  "and  maybe  she's  a  wicked 
witch." 

But  the  Prince  could  not  be  content  till  he  got  her. 
So  after  they  had  lived  together  a  while,  the  Lassie  was 
to  have  a  child,  and  when  the  child  came  to  be  born,  the 
Prince  set  a  strong  watch  about  her  ;  but  at  the  birth  one 
and  all  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  and  her  Foster-mother  came, 
cut  the  babe  on  its  little  finger,  and  smeared  the  queen's 
mouth  with  the  blood  ;  and  said  : 

"Now  you  shall  be  as  grieved  as  I  was  when  you  let 
out  the  star  ;  "  and  with  these  words  she  carried  off  the 
babe. 

But  when  those  who  were  on  the  watch  woke,  they 
thought  the  queen  had  eaten  her  own  child,  and  the  old 
queen  was  all  for  burning  her  alive,  but  the  Prince  was 
so  fond  of  her  that  at  last  he  begged  her  off,  but  he  had 
hard  work  to  set  her  free. 

So  the  next  time  the  young  queen  was  to  have  a  child, 
twice  as  strong  a  watch  was  set  as  the  first  time,  but  the 
same  thing  happened  over  again,  only  this  time  her  Foster- 
mother  said  : 

"Now  you  shall  be  as  grieved  as  I  was  when  you  let 
the  moon  out." 


71 


And  the  queen  begged  and  prayed,  and  wept;  for 
when  her  Foster-mother  was  there,  she  could  speak — but 
it  was  all  no  good. 

And  now  the  old  queen  said  she  must  be  burnt,  but 
the  Prince  found  means  to  beg  her  off.  But  when  the 
third  child  was  to  be  born,  a  watch  was  set  three  times  as 
strong  as  the  first,  but  just  the  same  thing  happened. 
Her  Foster-mother  came  while  the  watch  slept,  took  the 
babe,  and  cut  its  little  finger,  and  smeared  the  queen's 
mouth  with  the  blood,  telling  her  now  she  should  be 
as  grieved  as  she  had  been  when  the  Lassie  let  out  the 
sun. 

And  now  the  Prince  could  not  save  her  any  longer. 
She  must  and  should  be  burnt.  But  just  as  they  were 
leading  her  to  the  stake,  all  at  once  they  saw  her  Foster- 
mother^  who  came  with  all  three  children — two  she  led  by 
the  hand,  and  the  third  she  had  on  her  arm ;  and  so  she 
went  up  to  the  young  queen  and  said : 

"  Here  are  your  children ;  now  you  shall  have  them 
again.  I  am  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  so  grieved  as  you 
have  been,  so  grieved  was  I  when  you  let  out  sun,  and 
moon,  and  star.  Now  you  have  been  punished  for  what 
you  did,  and  henceforth  you  shall  have  your  speech/' 


•na.red  her  doivn  and  took  her  home.     Page  70 


How  glad  the  Queen  and  Prince  now  were,  all  may 
easily  think,  but  no  one  can  tell.  After  that  they  were 
always  happy ;  and  from  that  day  even  the  Prince's  mother 
was  very  fond  of  the  young  queen. 


INGE  on  a  time  there  was  a  man,  so  surly  and 
cross,  he  never  thought  his  Wife  did  anything 
right  in  the  house.  So,  one  evening,  in  hay 
making  time,  he  came  home,  scolding  and  swearing,  and 
showing  his  teeth  and  making  a  dust. 

"  Dear  love,  don't  be  so  angry ;  there's  a  good  man," 
said  his  goody;  " to-morrow  let's  change  our  work.  I'll 
go  out  with  the  mowers  and  mow,  and  you  shall  mind  the 
house  at  home." 

Yes !  the  Husband  thought  that  would  do  very  well. 
He  was  quite  willing,  he  said. 

So,  early  next  morning,  his  goody  took  a  scythe  over 
her  neck,  and  went  out  into  the  hayfield  with  the  mowers, 
and  began  to  mow ;  but  the  man  was  to  mind  the  house, 
and  do  the  work  at  home. 

First  of  all,  he  wanted  to  churn  the  butter ;  but  when 
he  had  churned  a  while,  he  got  thirsty,  and  went  down  to 
the  cellar  to  tap  a  barrel  of  ale.  So,  just  when  he  had 
knocked  in  the  bung,  and  was  putting  the  tap  into  the 
cask,  he  heard  overhead  the  pig  come  into  the  kitchen. 


75 


Then  off  he  ran  up  the  cellar  steps,  with  the  tap  in  his 
hand,  as  fast  as  he  could,  to  look  after  the  pig,  lest  it 
should  upset  the  churn ;  but  when  he  got  up,  and  saw 
the  pig  had  already  knocked  the  churn  over,  and  stood 
there,  routing  and  grunting  amongst  the  cream  which  was 
running  all  over  the  floor,  he  got  so  wild  with  rage  that 
he  quite  forgot  the  ale-barrel,  and  ran  at  the  pig  as  hard 
as  he  could.  He  caught  it,  too,  just  as  it  ran  out  of  doors, 
and  gave  it  such  a  kick,  that  piggy  lay  for  dead  on  the 
spot.  Then  all  at  once  he  remembered  he  had  the  tap 
in  his  hand ;  but  when  he  got  down  to  the  cellar,  every 
drop  of  ale  had  run  out  of  the  cask. 

Then  he  went  into  the  dairy  and  found  enough  cream 
left  to  fill  the  churn  again,  and  so  he  began  to  churn,  for 
butter  they  must  have  at  dinner.  When  he  had  churned 
a  bit,  he  remembered  that  their  milking  cow  was  still  shut 
up  in  the  byre,  and  hadn't  had  a  bit  to  eat  or  a  drop  to 
drink  all  the  morning,  though  the  sun  was  high.  Then 
all  at  once  he  thought  'twas  too  far  to  take  her  down  to 
the  meadow,  so  he'd  just  get  her  up  on  the  house  top — 
for  the  house,  you  must  know,  was  thatched  with  sods, 
and  a  fine  crop  of  grass  was  growing  there.  Now  the 
house  lay  close  up  against  a  steep  down,  and  he  thought 


76 


if  he  laid  a  plank  across  to  the  thatch  at  the  back  he'd 
easily  get  the  cow  up. 

But  still  he  couldn't  leave  the  churn,  for  there  was  his 
little  babe  crawling  about  on  the  floor,  and  "if  I  leave 
it,"  he  thought,  "  the  child  is  safe  to  upset  it."  So  he  took 
the  churn  on  his  back,  and  went  out  with  it ;  but  then  he 
thought  he'd  better  first  water  the  cow  before  he  turned 
her  out  on  the  thatch ;  so  he  took  up  a  bucket  to  draw 
water  out  of  the  well ;  but,  as  he  stooped  down  at  the 
well's  brink,  all  the  cream  ran  out  of  the  churn  over  his 
shoulders^  and  so  down  into  the  well. 

Now  it  was  near  dinner-time,  and  he  hadn't  even  got 
the  butter  yet ;  so  he  thought  he'd  best  boil  the  porridge, 
and  filled  the  pot  with  water  and  hung  it  over  the  fire. 
When  he  had  done  that,  he  thought  the  cow  might  perhaps 
fall  off  the  thatch  and  break  her  legs  or  her  neck.  So  he 
got  up  on  the  house  to  tie  her  up.  One  end  of  the  rope 
he  made  fast  to  the  cow's  neck  and  the  other  he  slipped 
down  the  chimney  and  tied  round  his  own  thigh ;  and  he 
had  to  make  haste,  for  the  water  now  began  to  boil  in  the 
pot,  and  he  had  still  to  grind  the  oatmeal. 

So  he  began  to  grind  away  ;  but  while  he  was  hard  at 
it,  down  fell  the  cow  off  the  house-top  after  all,  and  as 


77 


she  fell,  she  dragged  the  man  up  the  chimney  by  the  rope. 
There  he  stuck  fast ;  and  as  for  the  cow,  she  hung  half 
way  down  the  wall,  swinging  between  heaven  and  earth, 
for  she  could  neither  get  down  nor  up. 

And  now  the  goody  had  waited  seven  lengths  and 
seven  breadths  for  her  Husband  to  come  and  call  them 
home  to  dinner ;  but  never  a  call  they  had.  At  last  she 
thought  she'd  waited  long  enough,  and  went  home.  But 
when  she  got  there  and  saw  the  cow  hanging  in  such  an  ugly 

place,  she  ran  up 
and  cut  the  rope 
in  two  with  her 
scythe.  But,  as 
she  did  this,  down 
came  her  Husband 
out  of  the  chim 
ney  ;  and  so,  when 
his  old  dame  came 
inside  the  kitchen, 
there  she  found 
him  standing  on 
his  head  in  the 
porridge  pot. 


THE    LAD   WHO   WENT 
TO  THE   NORTH   WIND 

INGE  on  a  time  there  was  an  old  widow  who  had 
one  son ;  and  as  she  was  poorly  and  weak,  her 
son  had  to  go  up  into  the  safe  to  fetch  meal 

for  cooking ;  "  but  when  he  got  outside  the  safe,  and  was 

just  going  down  the  steps,  there  came  the  North  Wind 

puffing  and  blowing,  caught  up  the  meal,  and  so  away 

with  it  through 

the  air.    Then  the 

Lad  went  back 

into   the   safe  for 

more ;    but  when 

he  came  out  again 

on  the  steps,  if 

the   North   Wind 

didn't  come  again 

and  carry  off  the 

meal  with  a  puff: 

and,  more  than 

that,  he  did  so  the 

third  time.  At  this 


79 


AC*        dPfr       jSZfc        AC* 

<^?xj  C^SarO  C*^O  £***>} 

the  Z/#</  got  very  angry ;  and  as  he  thought  it  hard  that 
the  North  Wind  should  behave  so,  he  thought  he'd  just 
look  him  up,  and  ask  him  to  give  up  his  meal. 

So  off  he  went,  but  the  way  was  long,  and  he  walked 
and  walked  ;  but  at  last  he  came  to  the  North  Wind\ 
house. 

"Good  day  !  "  said  the  Lad,  "and  thank  you  for  com 
ing  to  see  us  yesterday." 

"GooD  DAY!"  answered  the  North  Wind,  for  his 
voice  was  loud  and  gruff,  "AND  THANKS  FOR  COMING  TO  SEE 
ME.  WHAT  DO  YOU  WANT  ?  v 

"Oh !"  answered  the  Lad,  "  I  only  wished  to  ask  you 
to  be  so  good  as  to  let  me  have  back  that  meal  you  took 
from  me  on  the  safe  steps,  for  we  haven't  much  to  live  on ; 
and  if  you're  to  go  on  snapping  up  the  morsel  we  have, 
there'll  be  nothing  for  it  but  to  starve." 

^  I  haven't  got  your  meal,"  said  the  North  Wind;  "  but 
if  you  are  in  such  need,  I'll  give  you  a  cloth  which  will 
get  you  everything  you  want,  if  you  only  say,  c  Cloth, 
spread  yourself,  and  serve  up  all  kinds  of  good  dishes ! ' 

With  this  the  Lad  was  well  content.  But,  as  the 
way  was  so  long  he  couldn't  get  home  in  one  day,  so  he 
turned  into  an  inn  on  the  way  ;  and  when  they  were  going 


80 


"Here  are   your  children;   now  you  shall  have  them  again, 
I  am   the  Virgin  Mary."     Page  72 


to  sit  down  to  supper  he  laid  the  cloth  on  a  table  which 
stood  in  the  corner,  and  said  : 

"Cloth,  spread  yourself,  and  serve  up  all  kinds  of  good 
dishes." 

He  had  scarce  said  so  before  the  cloth  did  as  it  was  bid ; 
and  all  who  stood  by  thought  it  a  fine  thing,  but  most  of 
all  the  landlady.  So,  when  all  were  fast  asleep  at  dead  of 
night,  she  took  the  Lad's  cloth,  and  put  another  in  its 
stead,  just  like  the  one  he  had  got  from  the  North  Wind^ 
but  which  couldn't  so  much  as  serve  up  a  bit  of  dry  bread. 

So,  when  the  Lad  woke,  he  took  his  cloth  and  went 
off  with  it,  and  that  day  he  got  home  to  his  mother. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "I've  been  to  the  North  Wind's 
house,  and  a  good  fellow  he  is,  for  he  gave  me  this  cloth, 
and  when  I  only  say  to  it,  'Cloth,  spread  yourself,  and 
serve  up  all  kinds  of  good  dishes,'  I  get  any  sort  of  food 
I  please." 

"All  very  true,  I  daresay,"  said  his  mother;  "but 
seeing  is  believing,  and  I  shan't  believe  it  till  I  see  it." 

So  the  Lad  made  haste,  drew  out  a  table,  laid  the 
cloth  on  it,  and  said : 

"Cloth,  spread  yourself,  and  serve  up  all  kinds  of 
good  dishes." 


81 


<c 

(C 


But  never  a  bk  of  dry  bread  did  the  cloth  serve  up. 

"Well,"  said  the  Lad,  "there's  no  help  for  it  but  to 
go  to  the  North  Wind  again ; "  and  away  he  went. 

So  he  came  to  where  the  North  Wind  lived  late  in 
the  afternoon. 

Good  evening!"  said  the  Lad. 

Good  evening ! "  said  the  North  Wind. 

"  I  want  my  rights  for  that  meal  of  ours  which  you 
took,"  said,  the  Lad ;  "for,  as  for  that  cloth  I  got,  it  isn't 
worth  a  penny." 

"I've  got  no  meal,"  said  the  North  Wind;  "but 
yonder  you  have  a  ram  which  coins  nothing  but  golden 
ducats  as  soon  as  you  say  to  it  :  '  Ram,  ram  !  make 
money ! ' 

So  the  Lad  thought  this  a  fine  thing ;  but  as  it  was 
too  far  to  get  home  that  day,  he  turned  in  for  the  night 
to  the  same  inn  where  he  had  slept  before. 

Before  he  called  for  anything,  he  tried  the  truth  of 
what  the  North  Wind  had  said  of  the  ram,  and  found  it 
all  right ;  but,  when  the  landlord  saw  that,  he  thought  it 
was  a  famous  ram,  and,  when  the  Lad  had  fallen  asleep, 
he  took  another  which  couldn't  coin  gold  ducats,  and 
changed  the  two. 


82 


Next  morning  off  went  the  Lad ;  and  when  he  got 
home  to  his  mother,  he  said : 

"After  all,  the  North  Wind  is  a  jolly  fellow;  for  now 
he  has  given  me  a  ram  which  can  coin  golden  ducats  if  I 
only  say  :  c  Ram,  ram !  make  money  ! ' 

"  All  very  true,  I  daresay,"  said  his  mother  ;  "  but  I 
shan't  believe  any  such  stuff  until  I  see  the  ducats  made." 

"Ram,  ram!  make  money!"  said  the  Lad  ;  but  if  the 
ram  made  anything,  it  wasn't  money. 

So  the  Lad  went  back  again  to  the  North  Wind,  and 
blew  him  up,  and  said  the  ram  was  worth  nothing,  and 
he  must  have  his  rights  for  the  meal. 

"Well!"  said  the  North  Wind ;  "I've  nothing  else  to 
give  you  but  that  old  stick  in  the  corner  yonder;  but  its 
a  stick  of  that  kind  that  if  you  say  :  '  Stick,  stick !  lay  on  ! ' 
it  lays  on  till  you  say  :  *  Stick,  stick !  now  stop ! '  " 

So,  as  the  way  was  long,  the  Lad  turned  in  this  night 
too  to  the  landlord  ;  but  as  he  could  pretty  well  guess  how 
things  stood  as  to  the  cloth  and  the  ram,  he  lay  down  at 
once  on  the  bench  and  began  to  snore,  as  if  he  were  asleep. 

Now  the  landlord,  who  easily  saw  that  the  stick  must 
be  worth  something,  hunted  up  one  which  was  like  it,  and 
when  he  heard  the  lad  snore,  was  going  to  change  the 


two ;  but,  just  as  the  landlord  was  about  to  take  it,  the 
Lad  bawled  out : 

"  Stick,  stick !  lay  on !  " 

So  the  stick  began  to  beat  the  landlord,  till  he  jumped 
over  chairs,  and  tables,  and  benches,  and  yelled  and  roared  : 

"  Oh  my !  oh  my !  bid  the  stick  be  still,  else  it  will 
beat  me  to  death,  and  you  shall  have  back  both  your  cloth 
and  your  ram." 

When  the  Lad  thought  the  landlord  had  got  enough, 
he  said  : 

"  Stick,  stick  !  now  stop !  " 

Then  he  took  the  cloth  and  put  it  into  his  pocket, 
and  went  home  with  his  stick  in  his  hand,  leading  the  ram 
by  a  cord  round  its  horns;  and  so  he  got  his  rights  for 
the  meal  he  had  lost. 


84 


THE  THREE  PRINCESSES 
OF  WHITELAND 

!NCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  fisherman '  who  lived 
close  by  a  palace,  and  fished  for  the  Kings 
table.  One  day  when  he  was  out  fishing  he 

just  caught  nothing.      Do  what  he  would — however  he 

tried  with  bait  and  angle — there  was  never  a  sprat  on  his 

hook.      But  when  the  day  was  far  spent  a  head  bobbed 

up    out    of  the 

water,  and  said : 
"  If    I    may 

have  what  your 

wife    bears    under 

her  girdle,  you 

shall  catch  fish 

enough.'* 

So  the   man 

answered    boldly, 

"  Yes;  "for  he  did 

not  know  that  his 

wife  was  going  to 

have  a  child.  After 


that,  as  was  like  enough,  he  caught  plenty  of  fish  of  all 
kinds.  But  when  he  got  home  at  night  and  told  his 
story,  how  he  had  got  all  that  fish,  his  wife  fell  a- weeping 
and  moaning,  and  was  beside  herself  for  the  promise 
which  her  husband  had  made,  for  she  said,  <<3I  bear  a  babe 
under  my  girdle." 

Well,  the  story  soon  spread,  and  came  up  to  the 
castle;  and  when  the  King  heard  the  woman's  grief  and 
its  cause,  he  sent  down  to  say  he  would  take  care  of  the 
child,  and  see  if  he  couldn't  save  it. 

So  the  months  went  on  and  on,  and  when  her  time 
came  the  fishers  wife  had  a  boy ;  so  the  king  took  it  at 
once,  and  brought  it  up  as  his  own  son,  until  the  lad 
grew  up.  Then  he  begged  leave  one  day  to  go  out 
fishing  with  his  father;  he  had  such  a  mind  to  go,  he 
said.  At  first  the  King  wouldn't  hear  of  it,  but  at  last 
the  lad  had  his  way,  and  went.  So  he  and  his  father 
were  out  the  whole  day,  and  all  went  right  and  well  till 
they  landed  at  night.  Then  the  lad  remembered  he  had 
left  his  handkerchief,  and  went  to  look  for  it;  but  as 
soon  as  ever  he  got  into  the  boat,  it  began  to  move  off 
with  him  at  such  speed  that  the  water  roared  under  the 
bow,  and  all  the  lad  could  do  in  rowing  against  it  with 


the  oars  was  no  use ;  so  he  went  and  went  the  whole 
night,  and  at  last  he  came  to  a  white  strand,  far  far  away. 

There  he  went  ashore,  and  when  he  had  walked  about 
a  bit,  an  old,  old  man  met  him,  with  a  long  white  beard. 

"What's  the  name  of  this  land?"  asked  the  lad. 

"Whiteland,"  said  the  man,  who  went  on  to  ask  the 
lad  whence  he  came,  and  what  he  was  going  to  do.  SQ 
the  lad  told  him  all. 

"Aye,  aye!"  said  the  man;  "now  when  you  have 
walked  a  little  farther  along  the  strand  here,  you'll  come 
to  three  Princesses,  whom  you  will  see  standing  in  the 
earth  up  to  their  necks,  with  only  their  heads  out.  Then 
the  first — she  is  the  eldest — will  call  out  and  beg  you  so 
prettily  to  come  and  help  her;  and  the  second  will  do 
the  same ;  to  neither  of  these  shall  you  go ;  make  haste 
past  them,  as  if  you  neither  saw  nor  heard  anything. 
But  the  third  you  shall  go  to,  and  do  what  she  asks. 
If  you  do  this,  you'll  have  good  luck — that's  all." 

When  the  lad  came  to  the  first  Princess,  she  called 
out  to  him,  and  begged  him  so  prettily  to  come  to  her, 
but  he  passed  on  as  though  he  saw  her  not.  In  the  same 
way  he  passed  by  the  second;  but  to  the  third  he  went 
straight  up. 


8? 


"If  you'll  do  what  I  bid  you,'*  she  said,  "you  may 
have  which  of  us  you  please." 

"Yes;"  he  was  willing  enough;  so  she  told  him  how 
three  Trolls  had  set  them  down  in  the  earth  there ;  but 
before  they  had  lived  in  the  castle  up  among  the  trees. 

"Now,"  she  said,  "you  must  go  into  that  castle,  and 
let  the  Trolls  whip  you  each  one  night  for  each  of  us. 
If  you  can  bear  that,  you'll  set  us  free." 

Well,  the  lad  said  he  was  ready  to  try. 

"When  you  go  in,"  the  Princess  went  on  to  say, 
"  you'll  see  two  lions  standing  at  the  gate ;  but  if  you'll 
only  go  right  in  the  middle  between  them  they'll  do  you 
no  harm.  Then  go  straight  on  into  a  little  dark  room, 
and  make  your  bed.  Then  the  Troll  will  come  to  whip 
you;  but  if  you  take  the  flask  which  hangs  on  the  wall, 
and  rub  yourself  with  the  ointment  that's  in  it,  wherever 
his  lash  falls,  you'll  be  as  sound  as  ever.  Then  grasp  the 
sword  that  hangs  by  the  side  of  the  flask  and  strike  the 
Troll  dead." 

Yes,  he  did  as  the  Princess  told  him ;  he  passed  in  the 
midst  between  the  lions,  as  if  he  hadn't  seen  them,  and 
went  straight  into  the  little  room,  and  there  he  lay  down 
to  sleep.  The  first  night  there  came  a  Troll  with  three 


88 


'You'll  come  to  three  Princesses,  whom  you  ivill  see  standing  in  the  earth 
up  to  their  necks,  -with  only  their  heads  out."    Page  87 


heads  and  three  rods,  and  whipped  the  lad  soundly;  but 
he  stood  it  till  the  Troll  was  done;  then  he  took  the 
flask  and  rubbed  himself,  and  grasped  the  sword  and  slew 
the  Troll. 

So,  when  he  went  out  next  morning,  the  Princesses 
stood  out  of  the  earth  up  to  their  waists. 

The  next  night  'twas  the  same  story  over  again,  only 
this  time  the  Troll  had  six  heads  and  six  rods,  and  he 
whipped  him  far  worse  than  the  first;  but  when  he  went 
out  next  morning, 
the  Princesses 
stood  out  of  the 
earth  as  far  as  the 
knee. 

The  third 
night  there  came  a 
7>0//that  had  nine 
heads  and  nine 
rods,  and  he 
whipped  and 
flogged  the  lad  so 
long  that  he  faint 
ed  away;  then  the 


Troll  took  him  up  and  dashed  him  against  the  wall ;  but 
the  shock  brought  down  the  flask,  which  fell  on  the  lad, 
burst,  and  spilled  the  ointment  all  over  him,  and  so  he 
became  as  strong  and  sound  as  ever  again.  Then  he  wasn't 
slow;  he  grasped  the  sword  and  slew  the  Troll ,  and  next 
morning  when  he  went  out  of  the  castle  the  Princesses 
stood  before  him  with  all  their  bodies  out  of  the  earth. 
So  he  took  the  youngest  for  his  Queen ,  and  lived  well 
and  happily  with  her  for  some  time. 

At  last  he  began  to  long  to  go  home  for  a  little  to  see 
his  parents.  His  Queen  did  not  like  this ;  but  at  last  his 
heart  was  so  set  on  it,  and  he  longed  and  longed  so  much, 
there  was  no  holding  him  back,  so  she  said : 

"One  thing  you  must  promise  me.  This — only  to 
do  what  your  father  begs  you  to  do,  and  not  what  mother 
wishes;"  and  that  he  promised. 

Then  she  gave  him  a  ring,  which,  was  of  that  kind 
that  any  one  who  wore  it  might  wish  two  wishes.  So 
he  wished  himself  home,  and  when  he  got  home  his 
parents  could  not  wonder  enough  what  a  grand  man  their 
son  had  become. 

Now,  when  he  had  been  at  home  some  days,  his 
mother  wished  him  to  go  up  to  the  palace  and  show  the 


9° 


King  what  a  fine  fellow  he  had  come  to  be.  But  his 
father  said : 

"  No !  don't  let  him  do  that ;  if  he  does,  we  shan't 
have  any  more  joy  of  him  this  time." 

But  it  was  no  good,  the  mother  begged  and  prayed  so 
long  that  at  last  he  went.  So  when  he  got  up  to  the 
palace  he  was  far  braver,  both  in  clothes  and  array,  than 
the  other  king,  who  didn't  quite  like  this,  and  at  last  he 
said  : 

"  All  very  fine ;  but  here  you  can  see  my  Queen^  what 
like  she  is,  but  I  can't  see  yours :  that  I  can't.  Do  you 
know,  I  scarce  think  she's  so  good-looking  as  mine." 

"  Would  to  Heaven,"  said  the  young  King,  "  she  were 
standing  here,  then  you'd  see  what  she  was  like."  And 
that  instant  there  she  stood  before  them. 

But  she  was  very  woeful,  and  said  to  him:1 

"  Why  did  you  not  mind  what  I  told  you ;  and  why 
did  you  not  listen  to  what  your  father  said  ?  Now,  I  must 
away  home,  and  as  for  you,  you  have  had  both  your  wishes." 

With  that  she  knitted  a  ring  among  his  hair  with  her 
name  on  it,  and  wished  herself  home,  and  was  off. 

Then  the  young  King  was  cut  to  the  heart,  and  went, 
day  out  day  in,  thinking  and  thinking  how  he  should  get 


back  to  his  Queen.  "  I'll  just  try,"  he  thought,  "if  I  can't 
learn  where  Whiteland  lies  ;  "  and  so  he  went  out  into  the 
world  to  ask.  So  when  he  had  gone  a  good  way,  he  came 
to  a  high  hill,  and  there  he  met  one  who  was  lord  over 
all  the  beasts  of  the  wood,  for  they  all  came  home  to  him 
when  he  blew  his  horn  ;  so  the  King  asked  if  he  knew 
where  Whiteland  was. 

"No,  I  don't,"  said  he,  "but  I'll  ask  my  beasts."  Then 
he  blew  his  horn  and  called  them,  and  asked  if  any  of 
them  knew  where  Whiteland  lay.  But  there  was  no  beast 
that  knew. 

So  the  man  gave  him  a  pair  of  snow-shoes. 

"When  you  get  on  these,"  he  said,  "you'll  come  to 
my  brother,  who  lives  hundreds  of  miles  off;  he  is  lord 
over  all  the  birds  of  the  air.  Ask  him.  When  you  reach 
his  house,  just  turn  the  shoes  so  that  the  toes  point  this 
way,  and  they'll  come  home  of  themselves."  So  when  the 
King  reached  the  house,  he  turned  the  shoes  as  the  lord 
of  the  beasts  had  said,  and  away  they  went  home  of 
themselves. 

So  he  asked  again  after  Whiteland,  and  the  man  called 
all  the  birds  with  a  blast  of  his  horn,  and  asked  if  any  of 
them  knew  where  Whiteland  lay  ;  but  none  of  the  birds 


92 


knew.  Now,  long,  long  after  the  rest  of  the  birds  came 
an  old  eagle,  which  had  been  away  ten  round  years,  but 
he  couldn't  tell  any  more  than  the  rest. 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  man,  "I'll  lend  you  a  pair  of 
snow-shoes,  and,  when  you  get  them  on,  they'll  carry  you 
to  my  brother,  who  lives  hundreds  of  miles  off;  he's  lord 
of  all  the  fish  in  the  sea ;  you'd  better  ask  him.  But  don't 
forget  to  turn  the  toes  of  the  shoes  this  way." 

The  King  was  full  of  thanks,  got  on  the  shoes,  and 
when  he  came  to  the  man  who  was  lord  over  the  fish  of 
the  sea,  he  turned  the  toes  round,  and  so  off  they  went 
home  like  the  other  pair.  After  that,  he  asked  again 
after  Whiteland. 

So  the1  man  called  the  fish  with  a  blast,  but  no  fish 
could  tell  where  it  lay.  At  last  came  an  old  pike,  which 
they  had  great  work  to  call  home,  he  was  such  a  way  off. 
So  when  they  asked  him  he  said  : 

"Know  it  ?  I  should  think  I  did  !  I've  been  cook  there 
ten  years,  and  to-morrow  I'm  going  there  again ;  for  now 
the  queen  of  Whiteland,  whose  king  is  away,  is  going  to 
wed  another  husband." 

"  Well ! "  said  the  man,  "  as  this  is  so,  I'll  give  you  a 
bit  of  advice.  Hereabouts,  on  a  moor,  stand  three  brothers, 


93 


and  here  they  have  stood  these  hundred  years,  fighting 
about  a  hat,  a  cloak,  and  a  pair  of  boots.  If  any  one  has 
these  three  things  he  can  make  himself  invisible,  and  wish 
himself  anywhere  he  pleases.  You  can  tell  them  you  wish 
to  try  the  things,  and,  after  that,  you'll  pass  judgment 
between  them,  whose  they  shall  be." 

Yes !  the  King  thanked  the  man,  and  went  and  did  as 
he  told  him. 

"  What's  all  this  ?  "  he  said  to  the  brothers.  "  Why  do 
you  stand  here  fighting  for  ever  and  a  day  ?  Just  let  me 
try  these  things,  and  I'll  give  judgment  whose  they  shall  be." 

They  were  very  willing  to  do  this ;  but,  as  soon  as  he 
had  got  the  hat,  cloak,  and  boots,  he  said : 

"When  we  meet  next  time,  I'll  tell  you  my  judgment," 
and  with  these,  words  he  wished  himself  away. 

So  as  he  went  along  up  in  the  air,  he  came  up  with 
the  North  wind. 

"Whither  away?"  roared  the  North  Wind. 

"To  Whiteland,"  said  the  King-y  "and  then  he  told 
him  all  that  had  befallen  him. 

"Ah,"  said  the*  North  Wind,  "  you  go  faster  than  I — 
you  do ;  for  you  can  go  straight,  while  I  have  to  puff  and 
blow  round  every  turn  and  corner.  But  when  you  get 


94 


there,  just  place  yourself  on  the  stairs  by  the  side  of  the 
door,  and  then  I'll  come  storming  in,  as  though  I  were 
going  to  blow  down  the  whole  castle.  And  then  when 
the  prince,  who  is  to  have  your  Queen^  comes  out  to  see 
what's  the  matter,  just  you  take  him  by  the  collar  and 
pitch  him  out  of  doors ;  then  I'll  look  after  him,  and  see 
if  I  can't  carry  him  off." 

Well,  the  King  did  as  the  North  Wind  said.  He  took 
his  stand  on  the  stairs,  and  when  the  North  Wind  came, 
storming  and  roaring,  and  took  hold  of  the  castle  wall,  so 
that  it  shook  again,  the  prince  came  out  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  But  as  soon  as  ever  he  came,  the  King 
caught  him  by  the  collar  and  pitched  him  out  of  doors, 
and  then  the  North  Wind  caught  him  up  and  carried  him 
off.  So  when  there  was  an  end  of  him,  the  King  went 
into  the  castle,  and  at  first  his  Queen  didn't  know  him, 
he  was  so  wan  and  thin,  through  wandering  so  far  and 
being  so  woeful ;  but  when  he  shewed  her  the  ring,  she 
was  as  glad  as  glad  could  be ;  and  so  the  rightful  wedding 
was  held,  and  the  fame  of  it  spread  far  and  wide. 


95 


So  the  man  gave  him  a  pair  of  snow-shoes.     Page  92 


SORIA    MORIA   CASTLE 

'NCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  poor  couple  who  had 
a  son  whose  name  was  Halvor.  Ever  since  he 
was  a  little  boy  he  would  turn  his  hand  to 
nothing,  but  just  sat  there  and  groped  about  in  the  ashes. 
His  father  and  mother  often  put  him  out  to  learn  this 
trade  or  that,  but  Halvor  could  stay  nowhere ;  for,  when 
he  had  been  there  a  day  or  two,  he  ran  away  from  his 
master,  and  never  stopped  till  he  was  sitting  again  in  the 
ingle,  poking  about  in  the  cinders. 

Well,  one  day  a  skipper  came,  and  asked  Ha  Ivor  if 
he  hadn't  a  mind  to  be  with  him,  and  go  to  sea,  and  see 
strange  lands.  Yes,  Halvor  would  like  that  very  much ; 
so  he  wasn't  long  in  getting  himself  ready. 

How  long  they  sailed  I'm  sure  I  can't  tell;  but  the 
end  of  it  was,  they  fell  into  a  great  storm,  and  when  it 
was  blown  over,  and  it  got  still  again,  they  couldn't  tell 
where  they  were ;  for  they  had  been  driven  away  to  a 
strange  coast,  which  none  of  them  knew  anything  about. 

Well,  as  there  was  just  no  wind  at  all,  they  stayed 
lying  wind-bound  there,  and  Halvor  asked  the  skipper's 
leave  to  go  on  shore  and  look  about  him;  he  would 


97 


sooner  go,  he  said,  than  lie  there  and  sleep. 

"Do  you  think  now  you're  fit  to  show  yourself  be 
fore  folk,"  said  the  skipper,  "why,  you've  no  clothes  but 
those  rags  you  stand  in  ? " 

But  Halvor  stuck  to  his  own,  and  so  at  last  he  got 
leave,  but  he  was  to  be  sure  and  come  back  as  soon  as 
ever  it  began  to  blow.  So  off  he  went  and  found  a  lovely 
land ;  wherever  he  came  there  were  fine  large  flat  corn 
fields  and  rich  meads,  but  he  couldn't  catch  a  glimpse  of 
a  living  soul.  Well,  it  began  to  blow,  but  Halvor 
thought  he  hadn't  seen  enough  yet,  and  he  wanted  to 
walk  a  little  farther  just  to  see  if  he  couldn't  meet  any 
folk.  So  after  a  while  he  came  to  a  broad  high  road,  so 
smooth  and  even,  you  might  easily  roll  an  egg  along  it. 
Halvor  followed  this,  and  when  evening  drew  on  he  saw 
a  great  castle  ever  so  far  off,  from  which  the  sunbeams 
shone.  So  as  he  had  now  walked  the  whole  day  and 
hadn't  taken  a  bit  to  eat  with  him,  he  was  as  hungry  as 
a  hunter,  but  still  the  nearer  he  came  to  the  castle,  the 
more  afraid  he  got. 

In  the  castle  kitchen  a  great  fire  was  blazing,  and 
Halvor  went  into  it,  but  such  a  kitchen  he  had  never  seen 
in  all  his  born  days.  It  was  so  grand  and  fine ;  there 


were  vessels  of  silver  and  vessels  of  gold,  but  still  never  a 
living  soul.  So  when  Halvor  had  stood  there  a  while  and 
no  one  came  out,  he  went  and  opened  a  door,  and  there 
inside  sat  a  Princess  who  span  upon  a  spinning-wheel. 

"Nay,  nay,  now!"  she  called  out,  "dare  Christian 
folk  come  hither?  But  now  you'd  best  be  off  about  your 
business,  if  you  don't  want  the  Troll  to  gobble  you  up; 
for  here  lives  a  Troll  with  three  heads." 

"All  one  to  me,"  said  the  lad,  "I  'd  be  just  as  glad  to 
hear  lie  had  four  heads  beside  \  I  'd  like  to  see  what  kind 
of  fellow  he  is.  As  for  going,  I  won't  go  at  all.  I've 
done  no  harm ;  but  meat  you  must  get  me,  for  I'm  almost 
starved  to  death." 

When  Halvor  had  eaten  his  fill,  the  Princess  told  him 
to  try  if  he  could  brandish  the  sword  that  hung  against  the 
wall ;  no,  he  couldn't  brandish  it,  he  couldn't  even  lift  it  up. 

"Oh!"  said  the  Princess ,  "now  you  must  go  and  take 
a  pull  of  that  flask  that  hangs  by  its  side ;  that's  what  the 
Troll  does  every  time  he  goes  out  to  use  the  sword." 

So  Halvor  took  a  pull,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  he 
could  brandish  the  sword  like  nothing ;  and  now  he  thought 
it  high  time  the  Jr0//came ;  and  lo !  just  then  up  came  the 
Jr0//puffingand  blowing.  Halvor  jumped  behind  the  door. 


99 


"  HUTETU,"  said  the  Troll,  as  he  put  his  head  in  at 
the  door,  "  what  a  smell  of  Christian  man's  blood !  " 

"Aye,"  said  Halvor,  "you'll  soon  know  that  to  your 
cost,"  and  with  that  he  hewed  off  all  his  heads. 

Now  the  Princess  was  so  glad  that  she  was  free,  she 
both  danced  and  sang,  but  then  all  at  once  she  called  her 
sisters  to  mind,  and  so  she  said : 

"Would  my  sisters  were  free  too!  " 

"  Where  are  they  ? "  asked  Halvor. 

Well,  she  told  him  all  about  it;  one  was  taken  away  by 
a  Troll  to  his  Castle  which  lay  fifty  miles  off,  and  the  other  by 
another  Troll  to  his  Castle  which  was  fifty  miles  further  still. 

"But  now,"  she  said,  "you  must  first  help  me  to  get 
this  ugly  carcass  out  of  the  house." 

Yes,  Halvor  was  so  strong  he  swept  everything  away, 
and  made  it  all  clean  and  tidy  in  no  time.  So  they  had 
a  good  and  happy  time  of  it,  and  next  morning  he  set  off 
at  peep  of  grey  dawn ;  he  could  take  no  rest  by  the  way, 
but  ran  and  walked  the  whole  day.  When  he  first  saw 
the  Castle  he  got  a  little  afraid ;  it  was  far  grander  than 
the  first,  but  here  too  there  wasn't  a  living  soul  to  be  seen. 
So  Halvor  went  into  the  kitchen,  and  didn't  stop  there 
either,  but  went  straight  further  on  into  the  house. 


IOO 


"  Nay,  nay,"  called  out  the  Princess,  "dare  Christian 
folk  come  hither  ?  I  don't  know  I  'm  sure  how  long  it 
is  since  I  came  here,  but  in  all  that  time  I  haven't  seen  a 
Christian  man.  'Twere  best  you  saw  how  to  get  away  as 
fast  as  you  came ;  for  here  lives  a  Troll  who  has  six  heads." 

"I  shan't  go,*'  said  Halvor,  "if  he  has  six  heads  be 
sides." 

"He'll  take  you  up  and  swallow  you  down  alive," 
said  the  Princess. 

But  it  was  no  good,  Ha  Ivor  wouldn't  go ;  he  wasn't 
at  all  afraid  of  the  Tro//y  but  meat  and  drink  he  must 
have,  for  he  was  half  starved  after  his  long  journey.  Well, 
he  got  as  much  of  that  as  he  wished,  but  then  the  Prin 
cess  wanted  him  to  be  off  again. 

"No,"  said  Hahor,  "I  won't  go,  I've  done  no  harm, 
and  I  've  nothing  to  be  afraid  about." 

"  He  won't  stay  to  ask  that,"  'said  the  Princess,  "  for 
he'll  take  you  without  law  or  leave;  but  as  you  won't  go, 
just  try  if  you  can  brandish  that  sword  yonder,  which  the 
Troll  wields  in  war." 

He'  couldn't  brandish  it,  and  then  the  Princess  said  he 
must  take  a  pull  at  the  flask  which  hung  by  its  side,  and 
when  he  had  done  that  he  could  brandish  it. 


101 


Just  then  back  came  the  Troll^  and  he  was  both  stout 
and  big,  so  that  he  had  to  go  sideways  to  get  through  the 
door.  When  the  Troll  got  his  first  head  in  he  called  out : 

"HUTETU,  what  a  smell  of  Christian  man's  blood!'* 

But  that  very  moment  Hahor  hewed  off  his  first 
head,  and  so  on  all  the  rest  as  they  popped  in.  The 
Princess  was  overjoyed,  but  just  then  she  came  to  think  of 
her  sisters,  and  wished  out  loud  they  were  free.  Halvor 
thought  that  might  easily  be  done,  and  wanted  to  be  ofT 
at  once ;  but  first  he  had  to  help  the  Princess  to  get  the 
TrolPs  carcass  out  of  the  way,  and  so  he  could  only  set 
out  next  morning. 

It  was  a  long  way  to  the  Castle,  and  he  had  to  walk 
fast  and  run  hard  to  reach  it  in  time ;  but  about  night- 
fell  he  saw  the  Castle,  which  was  far  finer  and  grander 
than  either  of  the  others.  This  time  he  wasn't  the  least 
afraid,  but  walked  straight  through  the  kitchen,  and  into 
the  Castle.  There  sat  a  Princess  who  was  so  pretty,  there 
was  no  end  to  her  loveliness.  She  too  like  the  others 
told  him  there  hadn't  been  Christian  folk  there  ever  since 
she  came  thither,  and  bade  him  go  away  again,  else  the 
Troll  would  swallow  him  alive,  and  do  you  know,  she 
said,  he  has  nine  heads. 


102 


"Aye,  aye,"  said  Halvor ,  "if  he  had  nine  other  heads, 
and  nine  other  heads  still,  I  won't  go  away,"  and  so  he 
stood  fast  before  the  stove.  The  Princess  kept  on  beg 
ging  him  so  prettily  to  go  away,  lest  the  Troll  should 
gobble  him  up,  but  Halvor  said : 

"Let  him  come  as  soon  as  he  likes." 

So  she  gave  him  the  Troll's  sword,  and  bade  him 
take  a  pull  at  the  flask,  that  he  might  be  able  to  brandish 
and  wield  it. 

Just  then  back  came  the  Troll  puffing  and  blowing 
and  tearing  along.  He  was  far  bigger  and  stouter  than 
the  other  two,  and  he  too  had  to  go  on  one  side  to  get 
through  the  door.  So  when  he  got  his  first  head  in,  he 
said  as  the  others  had  said  : 

"HUTETU,  what  a  smell  of  Christian  man's  blood!" 

That  very  moment  Halvor  hewed  off  the  first  head 
and  then  all  the  rest ;  but  the  last  was  the  toughest  of  them 
all,  and  it  was  the  hardest  bit  of  work  Halvor  had  to  do,  to 
get  it  hewn  off,  although  he  knew  very  well  he  had  strength 
enough  to  do  it. 

So  all  the  Princesses  came  together  to  that  Castle, 
which  was  called  Soria  Moria  Castle^  and  they  were  glad 
and  happy  as  they  had  never  been  in  all  their  lives  before, 


103 


and  they  all  were 
fond  of  Halvor 
and  Halvor  of 
them,  and  he 
might  choose  the 
one  he  liked  best 
for  his  bride  ;  but 
the  youngest  was 
fondest  of  him  of 
all  the  three. 

But  there 
after  a  while,  Hal 
vor  went  about, 
and  was  so  strange 
and  dull  and  silent.  Then  the  Princesses  asked  him  what 
he  kcked,  and  if  he  didn't  like  to  live  with  them  any 
longer  ?  Yes,  he  did,  for  they  had  enough  and  to  spare, 
and  he  was  well  off  in  every  way,  but  still  somehow  or 
other  he  did  so  long  to  go  home,  for  his  father  and 
mother  were  alive,  and  them  he  had  such  a  great  wish  to 
see. 

Well,    they    thought    that    might    be    done    easily 
enough. 


104 


/i£  /^tnp  -went  into  the  Castle,  and  at  first  his  Queen  didn't  know  him,  he  was 
so  wan  and  thin,  through  wandering  so  far  and  being  so  woeful.    Page  95 


"  You  shall  go  thither  and  come  back  hither,  safe  and 
unscathed,  if  you  will  only  follow  our  advice,"  said  the 
Princesses. 

Yes,  he'd  be  sure  to  mind  all  they  said.  So  they 
dressed  him  up  till  he  was  as  grand  as  a  king's  son,  and 
then  they  set  a  ring  on  his  ringer,  and  that  was  such  a 
ring,  he  could  wish  himself  thither  and  hither  with  it ;  but 
they  told  him  to  be  sure  and  not  take  it  off,  and  not  to 
name  their  names,  for  there  would  be  an  end  of  all  his 
bravery,  and  then  he'd  never  see  them  more. 

"If  I  only  stood  at  home  I'd  be  glad,"  said  Halvor; 
and  it  was  done  as  he  had  wished.  Then  stood  Halvor 
at  his  father's  cottage  door  before  he  knew  a  word  about 
it.  Now  it  was  about  dusk  at  even,  and  so,  when  they 
saw  such  a  grand  stately  lord  walk  in,  the  old  couple  got 
so  afraid  they  began  to  bow  and  scrape.  Then  Halvor 
asked  if  he  couldn't  stay  there,  and  have  a  lodging  there 
that  night.  No;  that  he  couldn't. 

"We  can't  do  it  at  all,"  they  said,  "for  we  haven't 
this  thing  or  that  thing  which  such  a  lord  is  used  to  have ; 
'twere  best  your  lordship  went  up  to  the  farm,  no  long 
way  off,  for  you  can  see  the  chimneys,  and  there  they 
have  lots  of  everything." 


105 


Halvor  wouldn't  hear  of  it — he  wanted  to  stop ;  but 
the  old  couple  stuck  to  their  own,  that  he  had  better  go 
to  the  farmer's ;  there  he  would  get  both  meat  and  drink ; 
as  for  them,  they  hadn't  even  a  chair  to  offer  him  to  sit 
down  on. 

"No,"  said  Halvor ',  "I  won't  go  up  there  till  to 
morrow  early,  but  let  me  just  stay  here  to-night;  worst 
come  to  the  worst,  I  can  sit  in  the  chimney  corner." 

Well,  they  couldn't  say  anything  against  that;  so 
Halvor  sat  down  by  the  ingle,  and  began  to  poke  about 
in  the  ashes,  just  as  he  used  to  do  when  he  lay  at  home 
in  old  days,  and  stretched  his  lazy  bones. 

Well,  they  chattered  and  talked  about  many  things; 
and  they  told  Halvor  about  this  thing  and  that ;  and  so 
he  asked  them  if  they  had  never  had  any  children. 

Yes,  yes,  they  had  once  a  lad  whose  name  was 
Halvor,  but  they  didn't  know  whither  he  had  wandered ; 
they  couldn't  even  tell  whether  he  were  dead  or  alive. 

"Couldn't  it  be  me,  now?"  said  Halvor. 

"Let  me  see;  I  could  tell  him  well  enough,"  said  the 
old  wife,  and  rose  up.  "Our  Halvor  was  so  lazy  and 
dull,  he  never  did  a  thing ;  and  besides,  he  was  so  ragged, 
that  one  tatter  took  hold  of  the  next  tatter  on  him.  No ; 


106 


there  never  was  the  making  of  such  a  fine  fellow  in  him 
as  you  are,  master." 

A  little  while  after  the  old  wife  went  to  the  hearth  to 
poke  up  the  fire,  and  when  the  blaze  fell  on  Halvor  s  face, 
just  as  when  he  was  at  home  of  old  poking  about  in  the 
ashes,  she  knew  him  at  once. 

"Ah!  but  it  is  you  after  all,  Halvor?"  she  cried; 
and  then  there  was  such  joy  for  the  old  couple,  there  was 
no  end  to  it  ;  and  he  was  forced  to  tell  how  he  had  fared, 
and  the  old  dame  was  so  fond  and  proud  of  him,  nothing 
would  do  but  he  must  go  up  at  once  to  the  farmer's,  and 
show  himself  to  the  lassies,  who  had  always-  looked  down 
on  him.  And  off  she  went  first,  and  Halvor  followed 

* 

after.  So,  when  she  got  up  there,  she  told  them  all  how 
Halvor  had  come  home  again,  and  now  they  should  only 
just  see  how  grand  he  was,  for,  said  she,  "he  looks  like 
nothing  but  a  King's  son." 

"All  very  fine,"  said  the  lassies,  and  tossed  up  their 
heads.  "We'll  be  bound  he's  just  the  same  beggarly 
ragged  boy  he  always,  was." 

Just  then  in  walked  Halvor  ',  and  then  the  lassies  were 
all  so  taken  aback,  they  forgot  their  sarks  in  the  ingle, 
where  they  were  sitting  darning  their  clothes,  and  ran  out 


107 


in  their  smocks.  Well,  when  they  were  got  back  again, 
they  were  so  shamefaced  they  scarce  dared  look  at  Ha/vor, 
towards  whom  they  had  always  been  proud  and  haughty. 

"Aye,  aye,"  said  Halvor^  "you  always  thought  your 
selves  so  pretty  and  neat,  no  one  could  come  near  you ; 
but  now  you  should  just  see  the  eldest  Princess  I  have  set 
free ;  against  her  you  look  just  like  milkmaids,  and  the 
midmost  is  prettier  still;  but  the  youngest,  who  is  my 
sweetheart,  she's  fairer  than  both  sun  and  moon.  Would 
to  Heaven  they  were  only  here,"  said  Ha Ivor ,  "then  you'd 
see  what  you  would  see." 

He  had  scarce  uttered  these  words  before  there  they 
stood,  but  then  he  felt  so  sorry,  for  now  what  they  had 
said  came  into  his  mind.  Up  at  the  farm  there  was  a 
great  feast  got  ready  for  the  Princesses^  and  much  was 
made  of  them,  but  they  wouldn't  stop  there. 

"  No,  we  want  to  go  down  to  your  father  and  mother,'' 
they  said  to  Halvor;  "and  so  we'll  go  out  now  and  look 
about  us." 

So  he  went  down  with  them,  and  they  came  to  a  great 
lake  just  outside  the  farm.  Close  by  the  water  was  such 
a  lovely  green  bank;  here  the  Princesses  said  they  would 
sit  and  rest  a  while ;  they^  thought  it  so  sweet  to  sit  down 


108 


and  look  over  the 
water. 

So  they  sat 
down  there,  and 
when  they  had  sat 
a  while  the  young 
est  Princess  said  : 

"  I  may  as 
well  comb  your 
hair  a  little, 


Well,  Halvor 
laid  his  head  on 
her  lap,  and  she 
combed  his  bonny  locks,  and  it  wasn't  long  before  Halvor 
fell  fast  asleep*.  Then  she  took  the  ring  from  his  finger, 
and  put  another  in  its  stead  ;  and  she  said  : 

"  Now  hold  me  all  together  !  and  now  would  we  were 
all  in  Soria  Moria  Castle" 

So  when  Halvor  woke  up,  he  could  very  well  tell 
that  he  had  lost  the  Princesses,  and  began  to  weep  and 
wail  ;  and  he  was  so  downcast,  they  couldn't  comfort  him 
at  all.  In  spite  of  all  his  father  and  mother  said,  he 


109 


wouldn't  stop  there,  but  took  farewell  of  them,  and  said 
he  was  safe  not  to  see  them  again ;  for  if  he  couldn't  find 
the  Princesses  again,  he  thought  it  not  worth  while  to  live. 

Well,  he  had  still  about  sixty  pounds  left,  so  he  put 
them  into  his  pocket,  and  set  out  on  his  way.  So,  when 
he  had  walked  a  while,  he  met  a  man  with  a  tidy  horse, 
and  he  wanted  to  buy  it,  and  began  to  chaffer  with  the 
man. 

"Aye,"  said  the  man,  "to  tell  the  truth,  I  never 
thought  of  selling  him ;  but  if  we  could  strike  a  bargain 
perhaps — " 

"What  do  you  want  for  him?"  asked  Ha/vor. 

"  I  didn't  give  much  for  him,  nor  is  he  worth  much ; 
he  's  a  brave  horse  to  ride,  but  he  can't  draw  at  all ;  still 
he 's  strong  enough  to  carry  your  knapsack  and  you  too, 
turn  and  turn  about,"  said  the  man. 

At  last  they  agreed  on  the  price,  and  Ha/vor  laid  the 
knapsack  on  him,  and  so  he  walked  a  bit,  and  rode  a  bit, 
turn  and  turn  about.  At  night  he  came  to  a  green  plain 
where  stood  a  great  tree,  at  the  roots  of  which  he  sat 
down.  There  he  let  the  horse  loose,  but  he  didn't  lie 
down  to  sleep,  but  opened  his  knapsack  and  took  a  meal. 
At  peep  of  day  off  he  set  again,  for  he  could  take  no 


rest.  So  he  rode  and  walked  and  walked  and  rode  the 
whole  day  through  the  wide  wood,  where  there  were 
so  many  green  spots  and  glades  that  shone  so  bright  and 
lovely  between  the  trees.  He  didn't  know  at  all  where 
he  was  or  whither  he  was  going,  but  he  gave  himself  no 
more  time  to  rest  than  when  his  horse  cropped  a  bit  of 
grass,  and  he  took  a  snack  out  of  his  knapsack  when  they 
came  to  one  of  those  green  glades.  So  he  went  on  walking 
and  riding  by  turns,  and  as  for  the  wood  there  seemed  to 
be  no  end  to  it. 

But  at  dusk  the  next  day  he  saw  a  light  gleaming 
away  through  the  trees. 

"  Would  there  were  folk  hereaway,"  thought  Ha/vor, 
"that  I  might  warm  myself  a  bit  and  get  a  morsel  to  keep 
body  and  soul  together." 

When  he  got  up  to  it  he  saw  the  light  came  from  a 
wretched  little  hut,  and  through  the  window  he  saw  an 
old  old,  couple  inside.  They  were  as  grey-headed  as  a 
pair  of  doves,  and  the  old  wife  had  such  a  nose!  why,  it 
was  so  long  she  used  it  for  a  poker  to  stir  the  fire  as  she 
sat  in  the  ingle. 

"Good  evening,"  said  Halvor. 
Good  evening,"  said  the  old  wife. 


€( 


III 


"But  what  errand  can  you  have  in  coming  hither?" 
she  went  on,  "for  no  Christian  folk  have  been  here  these 
hundred  years  and  more." 

Well,  Hafoor  told  her  all  about  himself,  and  how  he 
wanted  to  get  to  Soria  Moria  Castle^  and  asked  if  she 
knew  the  way  thither. 

"  No,"  said  the  old  wife,  "  that  I  don't,  but  see  now, 
here  comes  the  Moon,  I'll  ask  her,  she'll  know  all  about 
it,  for  doesn't  she  shine  on  everything?" 

So  when  the  Moon  stood  clear  and  bright  over  the 
tree-tops,  the  old  wife  went  out. 

"Tnou  MOON,  THOU  MOON,"  she  screamed,  "canst 
thou  tell  me  the  way  to  Soria  Moria  Castle  ?  " 

"No,"  said  the  Moon,  "that  I  can't,  for  the  last  time 
I  shone  there  a  cloud  stood  before  me." 

"Wait  a  bit  still,"  said  the  old  wife  to  Ha/vory  "bye 
and  bye  comes  the  West  Wind ;  he's  sure  to  know  it,  for 
he  puffs  and  blows  round  every  corner." 

"Nay,  nay,"  said  the  old  wife  when  she  went  out 
again,  "  you  don't  mean  to  say  you've  got  a  horse  too ; 
just  turn  the  poor  beastie  loose  in  our  '  toun,'  and  don't 
let  him  stand  there  and  starve  to  death  at  the  door." 

Then  she  ran  on : 


112 


The  six  brothers  riding  out  to  woo.      Page  117 


"But  won't  you  swop  him  away  to  me? — we've  got 
an  old  pair  of  boots  here,  with  which  you  can  take  twenty 
miles  at  each  stride ;  those  you  shall  have  for  your  horse, 
and  so  you'll  get  all  the  sooner  to  Soria  Moria  Castle" 

That  Halvor  was  willing  to  do  at  once ;  and  the  old 
wife  was  so  glad  at  having  the  horse,  she  was  ready  to 
dance  and  skip  for  joy. 

"For  now,"  she  said,  "I  shall  be  able  to  ride  to 
church.  I,  too,  think  of  that." 

As  for  Halvor,  he  had  no  rest,  and  wanted  to  be  off 
at  once,  but  the  old  wife  said  there  was  no  hurry. 

"  Lie  down  on  the  bench  with  you  and  sleep  a  bit, 
for  we've  no  bed  to  offer  you,  and  I'll  watch  and  wake 
you  when  the  West  Wind  comes." 

So  after  a  while  up  came  the  West  Wind,  roaring  and 
howling  along  till  the  walls  creaked  and  groaned  again. 

Out  ran  the  old  wife. 

"Tnou  WEST  WIND,  THOU  WEST  WIND!  Canst  thou 
tell  me  the  way  to  Soria  Moria  Castle?  Here's  one 
who  wants  to  get  thither." 

"  Yes,  I  know  it  very  well,"  said  the  West  Wind,  "and 
now  I'm  just  off  thither  to  dry  clothes  for  the  wedding 
that's  to  be ;  if  he's  swift  of  foot  he  can  go  along  with  me.'* 


113 


Out   ran   Halvor. 

"You'll  have  to  stretch  your  legs  if  you  mean  to 
keep  up,"  said  the  West  Wind. 

So  off  he  set  over  field  and  hedge,  and  hill  and  fell, 
and  Halvor  had  hard  work  to  keep  up. 

"Well,"  said  the  West  Wind,  "  now  I've  no  time  to 
stay  with  you  any  longer,  for  I've  got  to  go  away  yonder 
and  tear  down  a  strip  of  spruce  wood  first  before  I  go  to 
the  bleaching-ground  to  dry  the  clothes ;  but  if  you  go 
alongside  the  hill  you'll  come  to  a  lot  of  lassies  standing 
washing  clothes,  and  then  you've  not  far  to  go  to  Soria 
Moria  Castle" 

In  a  little  while  Halvor  came  upon  the  lassies  who 
stood  washing,  and  they  asked  if  he  had  seen  anything  of 
the  West  Wind  who  was  to  come  and  dry  the  clothes  for 
the  wedding. 

"Aye,  aye,  that  I  have,"  said  Halvor ,  "he's  only  gone 
to  tear  down  a  strip  of  spruce  wood.  It  '11  not  be  long  be 
fore  he's  here,"  and  then  he  asked  them  the  way  to  Soria 
Moria  Castle. 

So  they  put  him  into  the  right  way,  and  when  he  got 
to  the  Castle  it  was  full  of  folk  and  horses ;  so  full  it  made 
one  giddy  to  look  at  them.  But  Halvor  was  so  ragged  and 


torn  from  having  followed  the  West  Wind  through  bush  and 
brier  and  bog,  that  he  kept  on  one  side,  and  wouldn't  show 
himself  till  the  last  day  when  the  bridal  feast  was  to  be. 

So  when  all,  as  was  then  right  and  fitting,  were  to 
drink  the  bride  and  bridegroom's  health  and  wish  them 
luck,  and  when  the  cupbearer  was  to  drink  to  them  all 
again,  both  knights  and  squires,  last  of  all  he  came  in 
turn  to  Ha  Ivor.  He  drank  their  health,  but  let  the  ring 
which  the  Prmcess  had  put  upon  his  finger  as  he  lay  by 
the  lake  fall  into  the  glass,  and  bade  the  cupbearer  go  and 
greet  the  bride  and  hand  her  the  glass. 

Then  up  rose  the  Princess  from  the  board  at  once. 

uWho  is  most  worthy  to  have  one  of  us,"  she  said, 
"  he  that  has  set  us  free,  or  he  that  here  sits  by  me  as 
bridegroom  ?  " 

Well  they  all  said  there  could  be  but  one  voice  and 
will  as  to  that,  and  when  Hahor  heard  that  he  wasn't  long 
in  throwing  off  his  beggar's  rags,  and  arraying  himself  as 
bridegroom. 

"Aye,  aye,  here  is  the  right  one  after  all,"  said  the 
youngest  Princess  as  soon  as  she  saw  him,  and  so  she  tossed 
the  other  one  out  of  the  window,  and  held  her  wedding 
with  Hahor. 


THE  GIANT  WHO   HAD  NO 
HEART   IN   HIS   BODY 

INCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  King  who  had  seven 
sons,  and  he  loved  them  so  much  that  he  could 
never  bear  to  be  without  them  all  at  once,  but 
one  must  always  be  with  him.  Now,  when  they  were 
grown  up,  six  were  to  set  off  to  woo,  but  as  for  the 
youngest,  his  father  kept  him  at  home,  and  the  others 
were  to  bring  back  a  princess  for  him  to  the  palace.  So 
the  King  gave  the  six  the  finest  clothes  you  ever  set  eyes 
on,  so  fine  that  the  light  gleamed  from  them  a  long  way 
off,  and  each  had  his  horse,  which  cost  many,  many 
hundred  pounds,  and  so  they  set  off.  Now,  when  they 
had  been  to  many  palaces,  and  seen  many  princesses,  at 
last  they  came  to  a  King  who  had  six  daughters  ;  such 
lovely  king's  daughters  they  had  never  seen,  and  so  they 
fell  to  wooing  them,  each  one,  and  when  they  had  got 
them  for  sweethearts,  they  set  off  home  again,  but  they 
quite  forgot  that  they  were  to  bring  back  with  them  a 
sweetheart  for  Boots,  their  brother,  who  stayed  at  home, 
for  they  were  over  head  and  ears  in  love  with  their  own 
sweethearts. 


But  when  they  had  gone  a  good  bit  on  their  way,  they 
passed  close  by  a  steep  hill-side,  like  a  wall,  where  the 
Giant's  house  was,  and  there  the  Giant  came  out,  and  set 
his  eyes  upon  them,  and  turned  them  all  into  stone, 
princes  and  princesses  and  all.  Now  the  King  waited 
and  waited  for  his  six  sons,  but  the  more  he  waited,  the 
longer  they  stayed  away ;  so  he  fell  into  great  trouble,  and 
said  he  should  never  know  what  it  was  to  be  glad  again. 

"  And  if  I  had  not  you  left,"  he  said  to  Boots ,  "  I  would 
live  no  longer,  so  full  of  sorrow  am  I  for  the  loss  of  your 
brothers." 

"  Well,  but  now  I've  been  thinking  to  ask  your  leave 
to  set  out  and  find  them  again  ;  that's  what  I'm  thinking 
of,"  said  Boots. 

"  Nay,  nay !"  said  his  father;  "  that  leave  you  shall  never 
get,  for  then  you  would  stay  away  too." 

But  Boots  had  set  his  heart  upon  it ;  go  he  would ;  and 
he  begged  and  prayed  so  long  that  the  King  was  forced  to 
let  him  go.  Now,  you  must  know  the  King  had  no  other 
horse  to  give  Boots  but  an  old  broken-down  jade,  for  his 
six  other  sons  and  their  train  had  carried  off  all  his 
horses ;  but  Boots  did  not  care  a  pin  for  that,  he  sprang 
up  on  his  sorry  old  steed. 


118 


"  Farewell, 
father,"  said  he ; 
"I'll  come  back, 
never  fear,  and 
like  enough  I  shall 
bring  my  six 
brothers  back  with 
me;"  and  with 
that  he  rode  off. 

So,  when  he 
had  ridden  a  while, 
he  came  to  a 
Raven,  which  lay 
in  the  road  and 
flapped  its  wings,  and  was  not  able  to  get  out  of  the  way, 
it  was  so  starved. 

"Oh,  dear  friend,"  said  the  Raven,  "give  me  a  little 
food,  and  I'll  help  you  again  at  your  utmost  need." 

"I  haven't  much  food,"  said  the  Prince,  "and  I  don't 
see  how  you'll  ever  be  able  to  help  me  much ;  but  still  I 
can  spare  you  a  little.  I  see  you  want  it." 

So  he  gave  the  raven  some  of  the  food  he  had  brought 
with  him. 


119 


Now,  when  he  had  gone  a  bit  further,  he  came  to  a 
brook,  and  in  the  brook  lay  a  great  Salmon,  which  had 
got  upon  a  dry  place  and  dashed  itself  about,  and  could 
not  get  into  the  water  again. 

"Oh,  dear  friend,"  said  the  Salmon  to  the  Prince \ 
"shove  me  out  into  the  water  again,  and  I'll  help  you 
again  at  your  utmost  need." 

"  Well ! "  said  the  Prince,  "  the  help  you'll  give  me  will 
not  be  great,  I  daresay,  but  it's  a  pity  you  should  lie  there 
and  choke ; "  and  with  that  he  shot  the  fish  out  into  the 
stream  again. 

After  that  he  went  a  long,  long  way,  and  there  met 
him  a  Wolf,  which  was  so  famished  that  it  lay  and 
crawled  along  the  road  on  its  belly. 

"Dear  friend,  do  let  me  have  your  horse,**  said  the 
Wolfi  "  I'm  so  hungry  the  wind  whistles  through  my  ribs ; 
I've  had  nothing  to  eat  these  two  years." 

"  No,*'  said  Boots,  "  this  will  never  do ;  first  I  came  to 
a  raven,  and  I  was  forced  to  give  him  my  food ;  next  I 
came  to  a  salmon,  and  him  I  had  to  help  into  the  water 
again;  and  now  you  will  have  my  horse.  It  can't  be 
done,  that  it  can't,  for  then  I  should  have  nothing  to 
ride  on." 


'On  that  island  stands  a  church;  in  that  church  is  a  well-  in 
that  well  swims  a  duck."    Page  126 


"  Nay,  dear  friend,  but  you  can  help  me,"  said  Graylegs 
the  wolf;  "you  can  ride  upon  my  back,  and  I'll  help  you 
again  in  your  utmost  need." 

"  Well !  the  help  I  shall  get  from  you  will  not  be  great, 
I'll  be  bound,"  said  the  Prince ;  "  but  you  may  take  my 
horse,  since  you  are  in  such  need." 

So  when  the  Wolf  had  eaten  the  horse,  Boots  took  the 
bit  and  put  it  into  the  Wolf's  jaw,  and  laid  the  saddle  on 
his  back;  and  now  the  Wolf 'was  so  strong,  after  what  he 
had  got  inside,  that  he  set  off  with  the  Prince  like  nothing. 
So  fast  he  had  never  ridden  before. 

"When  we  have  gone  a  bit  farther,"  said  Graylegs^ 
"  I'll  show  you  the  Giant's  house." 

So  after  a  while  they  came  to  it. 

"See,  here  is  the  Giant's  house,"  said  the  Wolf\  "and 
see,  here  are  your  six  brothers,  whom  the  Giant  has 
turned  into  stone ;  and  see,  here  are  their  six  brides,  and 
away  yonder  is  the  door,  and  in  that  door  you  must  go." 

"Nay,  but  I  daren't  go  in,"  said  the  Prince ;  "he'll 
take  my  life." 

"No!  no!"  said  the  Wolf\  "when  you  get  in  you'll 
find  a  Princess^  and  she'll  tell  you  what  to  do  to  make  an 
end  of  the  Giant.  Only  mind  and  do  as  she  bids  you." 


121 


Well!  Boots  went  in,  but,  truth  to  say,  he  was  very 
much  afraid.  When  he  came  in  the  Giant  was  away, 
but  in  one  of  the  rooms  sat  the  Princess ',  just  as  the  Wolf 
had  said,  and  so  lovely  a  princess  Boots  had  never  yet 
set  eyes  on. 

"  Oh  I  heaven  help  you !  whence  have  you  come?"  said 
the  Princess,  as  she  saw  him ;  "it  will  surely  be  your  death. 
No  one  can  make  an  end  of  the  Giant  who  lives  here, 
for  he  has  no  heart  in  his  body." 

"  Well !  well ! "  said  Boots ;  "  but  now  that  I  am  here,  I 
may  as  well  try  what  I  can  do  with  him;  and  I  will  see 
if  I  can't  free  my  brothers,  who  are  standing  turned  to 
stone  out  of  doors ;  and  you,  too,  I  will  try  to  save,  that 
I  will." 

"Well,  if  you  must,  you  must,"  said  the  Princess; 
"and  so  let  us  see  if  we  can't  hit  on  a  plan.  Just 
creep  under  the  bed  yonder,  and  mind  and  listen  to 
what  he  and  I  talk  about.  But,  pray,  do  lie  as  still  as  a 
mouse." 

So  he  crept  under  the  bed,  and  he  had  scarce  got  well 
underneath  it,  before  the  Giant  came. 

"Ha!"  roared  the  Giant,  "what  a  smell  of  Christian 
blood  there  is  in  the  house!" 


122 


"Yes,  I  know  there  is,"  said  the  Princess^  "for  there 
came  a  magpie  flying  with  a  man's  bone,  and  let  it  fall 
down  the  chimney.  I  made  all  the  haste  I  could  to  get 
it  out,  but  all  one  can  do,  the  smell  doesn't  go  off  so 
soon." 

So  the  Giant  said  no  more  about  it,  and  when  night 
came,  they  went  to  bed.  After  they  had  lain  a  while, 
the  Princess  said  : 

"There  is  one  thing  I'd  be  so  glad  to  ask  you  about, 
if  I  only  dared." 

"What  thing  is  that?"  asked  the  Giant. 

"  Only  where  it  is  you  keep  your  heart,  since  you  don't 
carry  it  about  you,"  said  the  Princess. 

"Ah  !  that's  a  thing  you've  no  business  to  ask  about ; 
but  if  you  must  know,  it  lies  under  the  door-sill,"  said  the 
Giant. 

"  Ho !  ho ! "  said  Boots  to  himself  under  the  bed,  "  then 
we'll  soon  see  if  we  can't  find  it." 

Next  morning  the  Giant  got  up  cruelly  early,  and 
strode  off  to  the  wood  ;  but  he  was  hardly  out  of  the  house 
before  Boots  and  the  Princess  set  to  work  to  look  under 
the  door-sill  for  his  heart ;  but  the  more  they  dug,  and  the 
more  they  hunted,  the  more  they  couldn't  find  it. 


123 


"He  has  baulked  us  this  time,"  said  the  Princess,  "but 
we'll  try  him  once  more." 

So  she  picked  all  the  prettiest  flowers  she  could  find, 
and  strewed  them  over  the  door-sill,  which  they  had  laid 
in  its  right  place  again ;  and  when  the  time  came  for  the 
Giant  to  come  home  again,  Boots  crept  under  the  bed. 
Just  as  he  was  well  under,  back  came  the  Giant. 

Snuff — snuff,  went  the  Giant's  nose.  "  My  eyes  and 
limbs,  what  a  smell  of  Christian  blood  there  is  in  here," 
said  he. 

"I  know  there  is,"  said  the  Princess,  "for  there  came 
a  magpie  flying  with  a  man's  bone  in  his  bill,  and  let  it 
fall  down  the  chimney.  I  made  as  much  haste  as  I  could 
to  get  it  out,  but  I  daresay  it's  that  you  smell." 

So  the  Giant  held  his  peace,  and  said  no  more  about  it. 
A  little  while  after,  he  asked  who  it  was  that  had  strewed 
flowers  about  the  door-sill. 

"Oh,  I,  of  course,"  said  the  Princess. 

"And,  pray,  what's  the  meaning  of  all  this?"  said  the 
Giant. 

"Ah!"  said  the  Princess,  "I'm  so  fond  of  you  that  I 
couldn't  help  strewing  them,  when  I  knew  that  your  heart 
lay  under  there." 


124 


u  You  don't  say  so,"  said  the  Giant;  "but  after  all  it 
doesn't  lie  there  at  all." 

So  when  they  went  to  bed  again  in  the  evening,  the 
Princess  asked  the  Giant  again  where  his  heart  was,  for  she 
said  she  would  so  like  to  know. 

"Well,"  said  the  Gianty  "if  you  must  know,  it  lies 
away  yonder  in  the  cupboard  against  the  wall." 

"  So,  so ! "  thought  Boots  and  the  Princess;  "  then  we'll 
soon  try  to  find  it." 

Next  morning  the  Giant  was  away  early,  and  strode  off 
to  the  wood,  and  so  soon  as  he  was  gone  Boots  and  the 
Princess  were  in  the  cupboard  hunting  for  his  heart,  but  the 
more  they  sought  for  it,  the  less  they  found  it. 

"Well,"  said  the  Princessy  "we'll  just  try  him  once 
more." 

So  she  decked  out  the  cupboard  with  flowers  and  gar 
lands,  and  when  the  time  came  for  the  Giant  to  come 
home,  Boots  crept  under  the  bed  again. 

Then  back  came  the  Giant. 

Snuff — snuff!  "My  eyes  and  limbs,  what  a  smell  of 
Christian  blood  there  is  in  here!" 

"  I  know  there  is,"  said  the  Princess ;  "  for  a  little  while 
since  there  came  a  magpie  flying  with  a  man's  bone  in  his 


125 


bill,  and  let  it  fall  down  the  chimney.  I  made  all  the 
haste  I  could  to  get  it  out  of  the  house  again ;  but  after 
all  my  pains,  I  daresay  it's  that  you  smell." 

When  the  Giant  heard  that,  he  said  no  more  about  it ; 
but  a  little  while  after,  he  saw  how  the  cupboard  was  all 
decked  about  with  flowers  and  garlands ;  so  he  asked  who 
it  was  that  had  done  that  ?  Who  could  it  be  but  the  Princess  ? 

"And,  pray,  what's  the  meaning  of  all  this  tom 
foolery  ? "  asked  the  Giant. 

"Oh,  I'm  so  fond  of  you,  I  couldn't  help  doing  it 
when  I  knew  that  your  heart  lay  there,"  said  the  Princess. 

"  How  can  you  be  so  silly  as  to  believe  any  such  thing  ? " 
said  the  Giant. 

"  Oh  yes ;  how  can  I  help  believing  it,  when  you  say 
it  ? "  said  the  Princess. 

"You're  a  goose,"  said  the  Giant ;  "where  my  heart 
is,  you  will  never  come." 

"Well,"  said  the  Princess;  "but  for  all  that,  'twould 
be  such  a  pleasure  to  know  where  it  really  lies." 

Then  the  poor  Giant  could  hold  out  no  longer,  but 
was  forced  to  say : 

"Far,  far  away  in  a  lake  lies  an  island ;  on  that  island 
stands  a  church ;  in  that  church  is  a  well ;  in  that  well 


126 


swims  a  duck ;  in  that  duck  there  is  an  egg,  and  in  that 
egg  there  lies  my  heart, — you  darling !  " 

In  the  morning  early,  while  it  was  still  grey  dawn,  the 
Giant  strode  off  to  the  wood. 

"  Yes !  now  I  must  set  off  too,"  said  Boots ;  "  if  I  only 
knew  how  to  find  the  way."  He  took  a  long,  long  fare 
well  of  the  Princess,  and  when  he  got  out  of  the  Giant's 
door,  there  stood  the  Wolf  waiting  for  him.  So  Boots 
told  him  all  that  had  happened  inside  the  house,  and  said 
now  he  wished  to  ride  to  the  well  in  the  church,  if  he 
only  knew  the  way.  So  the  Wolf  bade  him  jump  on  his 
back,  he'd  soon  find  the  way ;  and  away  they  went,  till 
the  wind  whistled  after  them,  over  hedge  and  field,  over 
hill  and  dale.  After  they  had  travelled  many,  many  days, 
they  came  at  last  to  the  lake.  Then  the  Prince  did  not 
know  how  to  get  over  it,  but  the  Wolf  bade  him  only 
not  be  afraid,  but  stick  on,  and  so  he  jumped  into  the 
lake  with  the  Prince  on  his  back,  and  swam  over  to  the 
island.  So  they  came  to  the  church ;  but  the  church 
keys  hung  high,  high  up  on  the  top  of  the  tower,  and 
at  first  the  Prince  did  not  know  how  to  get  them 
down. 

"You  must  call  on  the  raven,"  said  the  Wolf. 


127 


So  the  Prince  called  on  the  raven,  and  in  a  trice  the 
raven  came,  and  flew  up  and  fetched  the  keys,  and  so  the 
Prince  got  into  the  church.  But  when  he  came. to  the 
well,  there  lay  the  duck,  and  swam  about  backwards  and 
forwards,  just  as  the  Giant  had  said.  So  the  Prince  stood 
and  coaxed  it,  till  it  came  to  him,  and  he  grasped  it  in 
his  hand ;  but  just  as  he  lifted  it  up  from  the  water  the 
duck  dropped  the  egg  into  the  well,  and  then  Boots  was 
beside  himself  to  know  how  to  get  it  out  again. 

"  Well,  now  you  must  call  on  the  salmon  to  be  sure," 
said  the  Wolf;  and  the  king's  son  called  on  the  salmon, 
and  the  salmon  came  and  fetched  up  the  egg  from  the 
bottom  of  the  well. 

Then  the  Wolf  told  him  to  squeeze  the  egg,  and  as 
soon  as  ever  he  squeezed  it  the  Giant  screamed  out. 

"Squeeze  it  again,"  said  the  Wolf;  and  when  the 
Prince  did  so,  the  Giant  screamed  still  more  piteously, 
and  begged  and  prayed  so  prettily  to  be  spared,  saying  he 
would  do  all  that  the  Prince  wished  if  he  would  only  not 
squeeze  his  heart  in  two. 

"Tell  him,  if  he  will  restore  to  life  again  your  six 
brothers  and  their  brides,  whom  he  has  turned  to  stone, 
you  will  spare  his  life,"  said  the  Wolf.  Yes,  the  Giant 


LIc  took  a  long,  long  farewell  of  the  Princess,  and  when  he  got  out  of  the  Giant's 
door,  there  stood  the  Wolf  waiting  for  him.    Page  127 


was  ready  to  do  that,  and  he  turned  the  six  brothers  into 
king's  sons  again,  and  their  brides  into  king's  daughters. 

"Now,  squeeze  the  egg  in  two,"  said  the  Wolf.  So 
Boots  squeezed  the  egg  to  pieces,  and  the  Giant  burst  at 
once. 

Now,  when  he  had  made  an  end  of  the  Giant,  Boots 
rode  back  again  on  the  Wolf  to  the  Giant's  house,  and 
there  stood  all  his  six  brothers  alive  and  merry,  with  their 
brides.  Then  Boots  went  into  the  hill-side  after  his  bride, 
and  so  they  all  set  off  home  again  to  their  father's  house. 
And  you  may  fancy  how  glad  the  old  king  was  when  he 
saw  all  his  seven  sons  come  back,  each  with  his  bride — 
"But  the  loveliest  bride  of  all  is  the  bride  of  Boots,  after 
all,"  said  the  king,  "and  he  shall  sit  uppermost  at  the 
table,  with  her  by  his  side." 

So  he  sent  out,  and  called  a  great  wedding-feast,  and 
the  mirth  was  both  loud  and  long,  and  if  they  have  not 
done  feasting,  why,  they  are  still  at  it. 


THE  PRINCESS  ON  THE  GLASS  HILL 

INCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  man  who  had  a 
meadow,  which  lay  high  up  on  the  hill-side, 
and  in  the  meadow  was  a  barn,  which  he  had 
built  to  keep  his  hay  in.  Now,  I  must  tell  you,  there 
hadn't  been  much  in  the  barn  for  the  last  year  or  two,  for 
every  St.  John's  night,  when  the  grass  stood  greenest  and 
deepest,  the  meadow  was  eaten  down  to  the  very  ground 
the  next  morning,  just  as  if  a  whole  drove  of  sheep  had 
been  there  feeding  on  it  over  night.  This  happened  once, 
and  it  happened  twice ;  so  at  last  the  man  grew  weary  of 
losing  his  crop  of  hay,  and  said  to  his  sons — for  he  had 
three  of  them,  and  the  youngest  was  nicknamed  Boots,  of 
course — that  now  one  of  them  must  go  and  sleep  in  the 
barn  in  the  outlying  field  when  St.  John's  night  came,  for 
it  was  too  good  a  joke  that  his  grass  should  be  eaten,  root 
and  blade,  this  year,  as  it  had  been  the  last  two  years.  So 
whichever  of  them  went  must  keep  a  sharp  look-out ;  that 
was  what  their  father  said. 

Well,  the  eldest  son  was  ready  to  go  and  watch  the 
meadow ;  trust  him  for  looking  after  the  grass !  It  shouldn't 
be  his  fault  if  man  or  beast,  or  the  fiend  himself,  got  a  blade 


of  grass.  So,  when  evening  came,  he  set  off  to  the  barn, 
and  lay  down  to  sleep ;  but  a  little  on  in  the  night  came 
such  a  clatter,  and  such  an  earthquake,  that  walls  and  roof 
shook,  and  groaned,  and  creaked ;  then  up  jumped  the  lad, 
and  took  to  his  heels  as  fast  as  ever  he  could ;  nor  dared  he 
once  look  round  till  he  reached  home ;  and  as  for  the  hay, 
why  it  was  eaten  up  this  year  just  as  it  had  been  twice  before. 

The  next  St.  John's  night,  the  man  said  again,  it  would 
never  do  to  lose  all  the  grass  in  the  outlying  field  year  after 
year  in  this  way,  so  one  of  his  sons  must  just  trudge  off  to 
watch  it,  and  watch  it  well  too.  Well,  the  next  oldest  son 
was  ready  to  try  his  luck,  so  he  set  off,  and  lay  down  to 
sleep  in  the  barn  as  his  brother  had  done  before  him  ;  but 
as  the  night  wore  on,  there  came  on  a  rumbling  and  quak 
ing  of  the  earth,  worse  even  than  on  the  last  St.  John's  night, 
and  when  the  lad  heard  it,  he  got  frightened,  and  took  to 
his  heels  as  though  he  were  running  a  race. 

Next  year  the  turn  came  to  Boots  ;  but  when  he  made 
ready  to  go,  the  other  two  began  to  laugh  and  to  make 
game  of  him,  saying  : 

"You're  just  the  man  to  watch  the  hay,  that  you  are  ; 
you,  who  have  done  nothing  all  your  life  but  sit  in  the 
ashes  and  toast  yourself  by  the  fire." 


132 


But  Boots  did  not  care  a  pin  for  their  chattering,  and 
stumped  away  as  evening  grew  on,  up  the  hill-side  to  the 
outlying  field.  There  he  went  inside  the  barn  and  lay 
down  ;  but  in  about  an  hour's  time  the  barn  began  to 
groan  and  creak,  so  that  it  was  dreadful  to  hear. 

"  Well,"  said  Boots  to  himselt,  "if  it  isn't  worse  than 
this,  I  can  stand  it  well  enough." 

A  little  while  after  came  another  creak  and  an  earth 
quake,  so  that  the  litter  in  the  barn  flew  about  the  lad's  ears. 
"  Oh  !  "  said  Boots  to  himself,  "  if  it  isn't  worse  than  this, 
I  daresay  I  can  stand  it  out." 

But  just  then  came  a  third  rumbling,  and  a  third  earth 
quake,  so  that  the  lad  thought  walls  and  roof  were  coming 
down  on  his  head  ;  but  it  passed  off,  and  all  was  still  as 
death  about  him. 

"  It'll  come  again,  I'll  be  bound,"  thought  Boots  ;  but 
no,  it  didn't  come  again ;  still  it  was,  and  still  it  stayed  ;  but 
after  he  had  lain  a  little  while,  he  heard  a  noise  as  if  a  horse 
were  standing  just  outside  the  barn-door,  and  cropping  the 
grass.  He  stole  to  the  door,  and  peeped  through  a  chink, 
and  there  stood  a  horse  feeding  away.  So  big,  and  fat, 
and  grand  a  horse,  Boots  had  never  set  eyes  on ;  by  his  side 
on  the  grass  lay  a  saddle  and  bridle,  and  a  full  set  of  armour 


133 


for  a  knight,  all  of  brass,  so  bright  that  the  light  gleamed 
from  it. 

"  Ho,  ho ! "  thought  the  lad  ;  "  it's  you,  is  it,  that  eats 
up  our  hay  ?  I'll  soon  put  a  spoke  in  your  wheel,  just  see 
if  I  don't." 

So  he  lost  no  time,  but  took  the  steel  out  of  his  tinder- 
box,  and  threw  it  over  the  horse  ;  then  it  had  no  power  to 
stir  from  the  spot,  and  became  so  tame  that  the  lad  could 
do  what  he  liked  with  it.  So  he  got  on  its  back,  and  rode 
off  with  it  to  a  place  which  no  one  knew  of,  and  there  he 
put  up  the  horse.  When  he  got  home,  his  brothers 
laughed  and  asked  how  he  had  fared  ? 

"  You  didn't  lie  long  in  the  barn,  even  if  you  had  the 
heart  to  go  so  far  as  the  field." 

"  Well,"  said  Boots ,  "all  I  can  say  is,  I  lay  in  the  barn 
till  the  sun  rose,  and  neither  saw  nor  heard  anything;  I 
can't  think  what  there  was  in  the  barn  to  make  you  both  so 
afraid." 

"  A  pretty  story,"  said  his  brothers ;  "  but  we'll  soon 
see  how  you  have  watched  the  meadow  ;"  so  they  set  off; 
but  when  they  reached  it,  there  stood  the  grass  as  deep  and 
thick  as  it  had  been  over  night. 

Well,  the  next  St.  John's  eve  it  was  the  same  story  over 


'34 


again  ;  neither  of  the  elder  brothers  dared  to  go  out  to  the 
outlying  field  to  watch  the  crop ;  but  Boots^  he  had  the 
heart  to  go,  and  everything  happened  just  as  it  had  happened 
the  year  before.  First  a  clatter  and  an  earthquake,  then  a 
greater  clatter  and  another  earthquake,  and  so  on  a  third 
time  \  only  this  year  the  earthquakes  were  far  worse  than 
the  year  before.  Then  all  at  once  everything  was  as 
still  as  death,  and  the  lad  heard  how  something  was  crop 
ping  the  grass  outside  the  barn-door,  so.he  stole  to  the  door, 
and  peeped  through  a  chink ;  and  what  do  you  think  he 
saw  ?  Why,  another  horse  standing  right  up  against  the 
wall,  and  chewing  and  champing  with  might  and  main. 
It  was  far  finer  and  fatter  than  that  which  came  the  year 
before,  and  it  had  a  saddle  on  its  back,  and  a  bridle  on  its 
neck,  and  a  fulj  suit  of  mail  for  a  knight  lay  by  its  side, 
all  of  silver,  and  as  grand  as  you  would  wish  to  see. 

"Ho,  ho!"  said  Boots  to  himself;  "it's  you  that 
gobbles  up  our  hay,  is  it  ?  I'll  soon  put  a  spoke  in  your 
wheel ; "  and  with  that  he  took  the  steel  out  of  his  tinder- 
box,  and  threw  it  over  the  horse's  crest,  which  stood  as 
still  as  a  lamb.  Well,  the  lad  rode  this  horse,  too,  to  the 
hiding-place  where  he  kept  the  other  one,  and  after  that 
he  went  home. 


"  I  suppose  you'll  tell  us,"  said  one  of  his  brothers, 
"there's  a  fine  crop  this  year  too,  up  in  the  hayfield." 

"Well,  so  there  is,"  said  Boots ;  and  off  ran  the  others 
to  see,  and  there  stood  the  grass  thick  and  deep,  as  it  was 
the  year  before  ;  but  they  didn't  give  Boots  softer  words  for 
all  that. 

Now,  when  the  third  St.  John's  eve  came,  the  two  elder 
brothers  still  hadn't  the  heart  to  lie  out  in  the  barn  and  watch 
the  grass,  for  they  had  got  so  scared  at  heart  the  nights  they 
lay  there  before,  that  they  couldn't  get  over  the  fright ;  but 
Boots  ^  he  dared  to  go  ;  and,  to  make  a  very  long  story  short, 
the  very  same  thing  happened  this  time  as  had  happened 
twice  before.  Three  earthquakes  came,  one  after  the 
other,  each  worse  than  the  one  which  went  before,  and 
when  the  last  came,  the  lad  danced  about  with  the  shock 
from  one  barn  wall  to  the  other;  and  after  that,  all  at 
once,  it  was  still  as  death.  Now  when  he  had  laid  a  little 
while,  he  heard  something  tugging  away  at  the  grass 
outside  the  barn,  so  he  stole  again  to  the  door-chink,  and 
peeped  out,  and  there  stood  a  horse  close  outside — far,  far 
bigger  and  fatter  than  the  two  he  had  taken  before. 

"Ho,  ho!"  said  the  lad  to  himself,  "it's  you,  is  it, 
that  comes  here  eating  up  our  hay  ?  I'll  soon  stop  that — 


136 


When  he  had  walked  a  day  or  so,  a  strange  man  met  him.    "Whither 
away?"  asked  the  man.    Page  149 


I'll  soon  put  a  spoke  in  your  wheel."  So  he  caught  up 
his  steel  and  threw  it  over  his  horse's  neck,  and  in  a  trice 
it  stood  as  if  it  were  nailed  to  the  ground,  and  Boots 
could  do  as  he  pleased  with  it.  Then  he  rode  off  with 
it  to  the  hiding-place  where  he  kept  the  other  two,  and 
then  went  home.  When  he  got  home,  his  two  brothers 
made  game  of  him  as  they  had  done  before,  saying,  they 
could  see  he  had  watched  the  grass  well,  for  he  looked 
for  all  the  world  as  if  he  were  walking  in  his  sleep,  and 
many  other  spiteful  things  they  said,  but  Boots  gave  no 
heed  to  them,  only  asking  them  to  go  and  see  for  them 
selves  ;  and  when  they  went,  there  stood  the  grass  as  fine 
and  deep  this  time  as  it  had  been  twice  before. 

Now,  you  must  know  that  the  king  of  the  country 
where  Boots  lived  had  a  daughter,  whom  he  would  only 
give  to  the  man  who  could  ride  up  over  the  hill  of  glass, 
for  there  was  a  high,  high  hill,  all  of  glass,  as  smooth  and 
slippery  as  ice,  close  by  the  Kings  palace.  Upon  the 
tip  top  of  the  hill  the  Kings  daughter  was  to  sit,  with 
three  golden  apples  in  her  lap,  and  the  man  who  could 
ride  up  and  carry  off  the  three  golden  apples,  was  to 
have  half  the  kingdom,  and  the  Princess  to  wife.  This 
the  King  had  stuck  up  on  all  the  church-doors  in  his 


137 


realm,  and  had 
given  it  out  in 
many  other  king 
doms  besides. 
Now,  this  Princess 
was  so  lovely  that 
all  who  set  eyes  on 
her  fell  over  head 
and  ears  in  love 
with  her  whether 
they  would  or  no. 
So  I  needn't  tell 
you  how  all  the 
princes  and 
knights  who  heard  of  her  were  eager  to  win  her  to  wife, 
and  half  the  kingdom  beside ;  and  how  they  came  riding 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  on  high  prancing  horses^  and 
clad  in  the  grandest  clothes,  for  there  wasn't  one  of  them 
who  hadn't  made  up  his  mind  that  he,  and  he  alone,  was 
to  win  the  Princess. 

So  when  the  day  of  trial  came,  which  the  king  had 
fixed,  there  was  such  a  crowd  of  princes  and  knights  under 
the  Glass  Hill,  that  it  made  one's  head  whirl  to  look  at 


138 


them,  and  everyone  in  the  country  who  could  even  crawl 
along  was  off  to  the  hill,  for  they  were  all  eager  to  see 
the  man  who  was  to  win  the  Princess.  So  the  two  elder 
brothers  set  off  with  the  rest  ;  but  as  for  Boots,  they  said 
outright  he  shouldn't  go  with  them,  for  if  they  were  seen 
with  such  a  dirty  changeling,  all  begrimed  with  smut  from 
cleaning  their  shoes  and  sifting  cinders  in  the  dust-hole, 
they  said  folk  would  make  game  of  them. 

"Very  well,"  said  Boots,  " it's  all  one  to  me.  I  can  go 
alone,  and  stand  or  fall  by  myself." 

Now  when  the  two  brothers  came  to  the  Hill  of  Glass, 
the  knights  and  princes  were  all  hard  at  it,  riding  their 
horses  till  they  were  all  in  a  foam ;  but  it  was  no  good,  by 
my  troth  ;  for  as  soon  as  ever  the  horses  set  foot  on  the  hill, 
down  they  slipped,  and  there  wasn't  one  who  could  get 
a  yard  or  two  up ;  and  no  wonder,  for  the  hill  was  as 
smooth  as  a  sheet  of  glass,  and  as  steep  as  a  house-wall. 
But  all  were  eager  to  have  the  Princess  and  half  the  king 
dom.  So  they  rode  and  slipped,  and  slipped  and  rode, 
and  still  it  was  the  same  story  over  again.  At  last  all 
their  horses  were  so  weary  that  they  could  scarce  lift  a 
leg,  and  in  such  a  sweat  that  the  lather  dripped  from  them, 
and  so  the  knights  had  to  give  up  trying  any  more.  So  the 


139 


king  was  just  thinking  that  he  would  proclaim  a  new  trial 
for  the  next  day,  to  see  if  they  would  have  better  luck, 
when  all  at  once  a  knight  came  riding  up  on  so  brave  a 
steed,  that  no  one  had  ever  seen  the  like  of  it  in  his  bora 
days,  and  the  knight  had  mail  of  brass,  and  the  horse  a  brass 
bit  in  his  mouth,  so  bright  that  the  sunbeams  shone  from  it. 
Then  all  the  others  called  out  to  him  he  might  just  as  well 
spare  himself  the  trouble  of  riding  at  the  Hill,  for  it  would 
lead  to  no  good ;  but  he  gave  no  heed  to  them,  and  put  his 
horse  at  the  hill,  and  went  up  it  like  nothing  for  a  good 
way,  about  a  third  of  the  height;  and  when  he  had  got  so 
far,  he  turned  his  horse  round  and  rode  down  again.  So 
lovely  a  knight  the  Princess  thought  she  had  never  yet  seen ; 
and  while  he  was  riding,  she  sat  and  thought  to  herself: 

"Would  to  heaven  he  might  only  come  up  and  down 
the  other  side." 

And  when  she  saw  him  turning  back,  she  threw  down 
one  of  the  golden  apples  after  him,  and  it  rolled  down  into 
his  shoe.  But  when  he  got  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  he 
rode  off  so  fast  that  no  one  could  tell  what  had  become  of 
him.  That  evening  all  the  knights  and  princes  were  to  go 
before  the  king,  that  he  who  had  ridden  so  far  up  the  hill 
might  show  the  apple  which  the  Princess  had  thrown,  but 


140 


there  was  no  one  who  had  anything  to  show.  One  after 
the  other  they  all  came,  but  not  a  man  of  them  could  show 
the  apple. 

At  even  the  brothers  of  Boots  came  home  too,  and  had 
such  a  long  story  to  tell  about  the  riding  up  the  hill. 

"First  of  all,"  they  said,  "there  was  not  one  of  the 
whole  lot  who  could  get  so  much  as  a  stride  up  ;  but  at  last 
came  one  who  had  a  suit  of  brass  mail,  and  a  brass  bridle 
and  saddle,  all  so  bright  that  the  sun  shone  from  them  a  mile 
off.  He  was  a  chap  to  ride,  just !  He  rode  a  third  of  the 
way  up  the  Hill  of  Glass ,  and  he  could  easily  have  ridden 
the  whole  way  up,  if  he  chose ;  but  he  turned  round  and 
rode  down,  thinking,  maybe,  that  was  enough  for  once." 

"  Oh  1 1  should  so  like  to  have  seen  him,  that  I  should," 
said  Boots,  who  sat  by  the  fireside,  and  stuck  his  feet  into 
the  cinders,  as  was  his  wont. 

"  Oh ! "  said  his  brothers,  "  you  would,  would  you  ? 
You  look  fit  to  keep  company  with  such  high  lords,  nasty 
beast  that  you  are,  sitting  there  amongst  the  ashes." 

Next  day  the  brothers  were  all  for  setting  off  again,  and 
Boots  begged  them  this  time,  too,  to  let  him  go  with  them 
and  see  the  riding ;  but  no,  they  wouldn't  have  him  at  any 
price,  he  was  too  ugly  and  nasty,  they  said. 


"  Well,  well  I "  said  Boots;  "  if  I  go  at  all,  I  must  go  by 
myself.  I'm  not  afraid." 

So  when  the  brothers  got  to  the  Hill  of  Glass ,  all  the 
princes  and  knights  began  to  ride  again,  and  you  may  fancy 
they  had  taken  care  to  shoe  their  horses  sharp ;  but  it  was 
no  good — they  rode  and  slipped,  and  slipped  and  rode,  just 
as  they  had  done  the  day  before,  and  there  was  not  one  who 
could  get  so  far  as  a  yard  up  the  hill.  And  when  they  had 
worn  out  their  horses,  so  that  they  could  not  stir  a  leg,  they 
were  all  forced  to  give  it  up  as  a  bad  job.  So  the  king 
thought  he  might  as  well  proclaim  that  the  riding  should 
take  place  the  day  after  for  the  last  time,  just  to  give  them 
one  chance  more ;  but  all  at  once  it  came  across  his  mind 
that  he  might  as  well  wait  a  little  longer,  to  see  if  the  knight 
in  brass  mail  would  come  this  day  too.  Well,  they  saw 
nothing  of  him  ;  but  all  at  once  came  one  riding  on  a  steed, 
far,  far  braver  and  finer  than  that  on  which  the  knight  in 
brass  had  ridden,  and  he  had  silver  mail,  and  a  silver  saddle 
and  bridle,  all  so  bright  that  the  sunbeams  gleamed  and 
glanced  from  them  far  away.  Then  the  others  shouted 
out  to  him  again,  saying,  he  might  as  well  hold  hard,  and 
not  try  to  ride  up  the  hill,  for  all  his  trouble  would  be 
thrown  away  j  but  the  knight  paid  no  heed  to  them,  and 


142 


rode  straight  at  the  hill,  and  right  up  it,  till  he  had  gone 
two- thirds  of  the  way,  and  then  he  wheeled  his  horse 
round  and  rode  down  again.  To  tell  the  truth,  the 
Princess  liked  him  still  better  than  the  knight  in  brass,  and 
she  sat  and  wished  he  might  only  be  able  to  come  right 
up  to  the  top,  and  down  the  other  side;  but  when  she 
saw  him  turning  back,  she  threw  the  second  apple  after 
him,  and  it  rolled  down  and  fell  into  his  shoe.  But,  as 
soon  as  ever  he  had  come  down  from  the  Hill  of  Glass,  he 
rode  off  so  fast  that  no  one  could  see  what  became  of  him. 

At  even,  when  all  were  to  go  in  before  the  king  and 
the  Princess ,  that  he  who  had  the  golden  apple  might  show 
it,  in  they  went,  one  after  the  other,  but  there  was  no  one 
who  had  any  apple  to  show,  and  the  two  brothers,  as  they 
had  done  on  the  former  day,  went  home  and  told  how 
things  had  gone,  and  how  all  had  ridden  at  the  hill,  and 
none  got  up. 

"But,  last  of  all,"  they  said,  "  came  one  in  a  silver 
suit,  and  his  horse  had  a  silver  saddle  and  a  silver  bridle. 
He  was  just  a  chap  to  ride;  and  he  got  two-thirds  up  the 
hill,  and  then  turned  back.  He  was  a  fine  fellow,  and  no, 
mistake  ;  and  the  Princess  threw  the  second  gold  apple  to 
him." 


"  Oh  !  "  said  Boots,  "  I  should  so  like  to  have  seen  him 
too,  that  I  should." 

"A  pretty  story,"  they  said.  "Perhaps  you  think 
his  coat  of  mail  was  as  bright  as  the  ashes  you  are  always 
poking  about,  and  sifting,  you  nasty  dirty  beast." 

The  third  day  everything  happened  as  it  had  happened 
the  two  days  before.  Boots  begged  to  go  and  see  the 
sight,  but  the  two  wouldn't  hear  of  his  going  with  them. 
When  they  got  to  the  Hill  there  was  no  one  who  could 
get  so  much  as  a  yard  up  it  ;  and  now  all  waited  for  the 
knight  in  silver  mail,  but  they  neither  saw  nor  heard  of 
him.  At  last  came  one  riding  on  a  steed,  so  brave  that 
no  one  had  ever  seen  his  match  ;  and  the  knight  had  a 
suit  of  golden  mail,  and  a  golden  saddle  and  bridle,  so 
wondrous  bright  that  the  sunbeams  gleamed  from  them 
a  mile  off.  The  other  knights  and  princes  could  not 
find  time  to  call  out  to  him  not  to  try  his  luck,  for  they 
were  amazed  to  see  how  grand  he  was.  So  he  rode 
right  at  the  hill,  and  tore  up  it  like  nothing,  so  that  the 
Princess  hadn't  even  time  to  wish  that  he  might  get  up 
the  whole  way.  As  soon  as  ever  he  reached  the  top,  hej 
took  the  third  golden  apple  from  the  Princess  lap,  andv 
then  turned  his  horse  and  rode  down  again.  As  soon  as 


144 


But  still  the  Horse  begged  him  to  look  behind  him.      Page  156 


he  got  down,  he  rode  off  at  full  speed,  and  was  out  of 
sight  in  no  time. 

Now,  when  the  brothers  got  home  at  even,  you  may 
fancy  what  long  stones  they  told,  how  the  riding  had 
gone  off  that  day  ;  and  amongst  other  things,  they  had 
a  deal  to  say  about  the  knight  in  golden  mail. 

"He  just  was  a  chap  to  ride!"  they  said ;  "  so  grand  a 
knight  isn't  to  be  found  in  the  wide  world." 

"Oh!"  said  Boots,  "I  should  so  like  to  have  seen  him, 
that  I  should." 

"Ah!"  said  his  brothers,  "his  mail  shone  a  deal 
brighter  than  the  glowing  coals  which  you  are  always 
poking  and  digging  at  ;  nasty  dirty  beast  that  you 
are." 

Next  day  all  the  knights  and  princes  were  to  pass  be 
fore  the  king  and  the  Princess — it  was  too  late  to  do  so 
the  night  before,  I  suppose — that  he  who  had  the  gold 
apple  might  bring  it  forth;  but  one  came  after  another, 
first  the  Princes,  and  then  the  knights,  and  still  no  one  could 
show  the  gold  apple. 

"  Well,"  said  the  king,  "  some  one  must  have  it,  for 
it  was  something  we  all  saw  with  our  own  eyes,  how  a 
man  came  and  rode  up  and  bore  it  off." 


So  he  commanded  that  every  man  who  was  in  the 
kingdom  should  come  up  to  the  palace  and  see  if  they 
could  show  the  apple.  Well,  they  all  came  one  after 
another,  but  no  one  had  the  golden  apple,  and  after  a  long 
time  the  two  brothers  of  Boots  came.  They  were  the  last 
of  all,  so  the  king  asked  them  if  there  was  no  one  else  in 

the  kingdom  who  hadn't  come, 
o 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  they  ;  "  we  have  a  brother,  but  he 
never  carried  off  the  golden  apple.  He  hasn't  stirred  out 
of  the  dusthole  on  any  of  the  three  days." 

"Never  mind  that,"  said  the  king  ;  "  he  may  as  well 
come  up  to  the  palace  like  the  rest." 

So  Boots  had  to  go  up  to  the  palace. 

"  How  now,"  said  the  king  ;  "  have  you  got  the  golden 
apple  ?  Speak  out !  " 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  said  Boots ;  "  here  is  the  first,  and 
here  is  the  second,  and  here  is  the  third  too  ; "  and  with 
that  he  pulled  all  three  golden  apples  out  of  his  pocket,  and 
at  the  same  time  threw  off  his  sooty  rags,  and  stood  before 
them  in  his  gleaming  golden  mail. 

"  Yes  !  "  said  the  king  ;  "  you  shall  have  my  daughter, 
and  half  my  kingdom,  for  you  well  deserve  both  her 
and  it." 


146 


So  they  got  ready  for  the  wedding,  and  Boots  got  the 
Princess  to  wife,  and  there  was  great  merry-making  at  the 
bridal-feast,  you  may  fancy,  for  they  could  all  be  merry 
though  they  couldn't  ride  up  the  Hill  of  Glass  ;  and  all  I 
can  say  is,  if  they  haven't  left  off  their  merry-making  yet, 
why,  they're  still  at  it.  £& 


fife     Afe 


THE   WIDOW'S   SON 

|NCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  poor,  poor  Widow  ^ 
who  had  an  only  Son,  She  dragged  on  with  the 
boy  till  he  had  been  confirmed,  and  then  she 
said  she  couldn't  feed  him  any  longer,  he  must  just  go  out 
and  earn  his  own  bread.  So  the  lad  wandered  out  into 
the  world,  and  when  he  had  walked  a  day  or  so,  a  strange 
man  met  him. 

"Whither  away?"  asked  the  man. 

"Oh,  I'm  going  out  into  the  world  to  try  and  get  a 
place,"  said  the  lad. 

"Will  you  come  and  serve  me?"  said  the  man. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  just  as  soon  you  as  any  one  else,"  said 
the  lad. 

"Well,  you'll  have  a  good  place  with  me,"  said  the 
man;  "for  you'll  only  have  to  keep  me  company,  and  do 
nothing  at  all  else  beside." 

So  the  lad  stopped  with  him,  and  lived  on  the  fet 
of  the  land,  both  in  meat  and  drink,  and  had  little  or 
nothing  to  do ;  but  he  never  saw  a  living  soul  in  that 
man's  house. 

So  one  day  the  man  said : 


"Now,  I'm  going  off  for  eight  days,  and  that  time 
you  '11  have  to  spend  here  all  alone ;  but  you  must  not  go 
into  any  one  of  these  four  rooms  here.  If  you  do,  I'll 
take  your  life  when  I  come  back." 

"No,"  said  the  lad,  he'd  be  sure  not  to  do  that.  But 
when  the  man  had  been  gone  three  or  four  days,  the  kd 

» 

couldn't  bear  it  any  longer,  but  went  into  the  first  room, 
and  when  he  got  inside  he  looked  round,  but  he  saw 
nothing  but  a  shelf  over  the  door  where  a  bramble-bush 
rod  lay. 

Well,  indeed  1  thought  the  lad;  a  pretty  thing  to 
forbid  my  seeing  this. 

So  when  the  eight  days  were  out,  the  man  came  home, 
and  the  first  thing  he  said  was : 

"  You   haven't    been    into  any   of  these   rooms,   of 


course." 


"No,  no;  that  I  haven't,"  said  the  lad. 

"I'll  soon  see  that,"  said  the  man,  and  went  at  once 
into  the  room  where  the  lad  had  been. 

"Nay,  but  you  have  been  in  here,"  said  he;  "and 
now  you  shall  lose  your  life." 

Then  the  lad  begged  and  prayed  so  hard  that  he  got 
off  with  his  life,  but  the  man  gave  him  a  good  thrashing. 


150 


And  when  it  was  over,  they  were  as  good  friends  as  ever. 

Some  time  after  the  man  set  off  again,  and  said  he 
should  be  away  fourteen  days ;  but  before  he  went  he 
forbade  the  lad  to  go  into  any  of  the  rooms  he  had  not 
been  in  before ;  as  for  that  he  had  been  in,  he  might  go 
into  that,  and  welcome.  Well,  it  was  the  same  story 
over  again,  except  that  the  lad  stood  out  eight  days  before 
he  went  in.  In  this  room,  too,  he  saw  nothing  but  a 
shelf  over  the  door,  and  a  big  stone,  and  a  pitcher  of 
water  on  it.  Well,  after  all,  there's  not  much  to  be 
afraid  of  my  seeing  here,  thought  the  lad. 

But  when  the  man  came  back,  he  asked  if  he  had 
been  into  any  of  the  rooms.  No,  the  lad  hadn't  done 
anything  of  the  kind. 

"Well,  well;  I'll  soon  see  that,"  said  the  man;  and 
when  he  saw  the  lad  had  been  in  them  after  all,  he  said : 

"Ah!  now  I'll  spare  you  no  longer;  now  you  must 
lose  your  life." 

But  the  lad  begged  and  prayed  for  himself  again, 
and  SQ  this  time  too  he  got  off  with  stripes ;  though  he 
got  as  many  as  his  skin  would  carry.  But  when  he  got 
sound  and  well  again,  he  led  just  as  easy  a  life  as  ever, 
and  he  and  the  man  were  just  as  good  friends. 


So  a  while  after  the  man  was  to  take  another  journey, 
and  now  he  said  he  should  be  away  three  weeks,  and  he 
forbade  the  lad  anew  to  go  into  the  third  room,  for  if 
he  went  in  there  he  might  just  make  up  his  mind  at  once 
to  lose  his  life.  Then  after  fourteen  days  the  lad  couldn't 
bear  it,  but  crept  into  the  room,  but  he  saw  .nothing  at 
all  in  there  but  a  trap  door  on  the  floor ;  and  when  he 
lifted  it  up  and  looked  down,  there  stood  a  great  copper 
cauldron  which  bubbled  up  and  boiled  away  down  there ; 
but  he  saw  no  fire  under  it. 

"  Well,  I  should  just  like  to  know  if  it's  hot,"  thought 
the  lad,  and  struck  his  finger  down  into  the  broth,  and 
when  he  pulled  it  out  again,  lo !  it  was  gilded  all  oVer. 
So  the  lad  scraped  and  scrubbed  it,  but  the  gilding 
wouldn't  go  off,  so  he  bound  a  piece  of  rag  round  it ; 
and  when  the  man  came  back,  and  asked  what  was  the 
matter  with  his  finger,  the  lad  said  he'd  given  it  such  a 
bad  cut.  But  the  man  tore  off  the  rag,,  and  then  he 
soon  saw  what  was  the  matter  with  the  finger.  First  he 
wanted  to  kill  the  lad  outright,  but  when  he  wept,  and 
begged,  he  only  gave  him  such  a  thrashing  that  he  had 
to  keep  his  bed  three  days.  After  that  the  man  took 
down  a  pot  from  the  wall,  and  rubbed  him  over  with 


152 


And  this  time  she  whisked  off  the  wig;  and  there  lay  the  lad,  so  lovely  and  white 
and  red,  just  as  the  Princess  had  seen  him  in  the  morning  sun.    Page  160 


some  stuff  out  of  it,  and  so  the  lad  was  as  sound  and 
fresh  as  ever. 

So  after  a  while  the  man  started  off  again,  and  this 
time  he  was  to  be  away  a  month.  But  before  he  went, 
he  said  to  the  lad,  if  he  went  into  the  fourth  room  he 
might  give  up  all  hope  of  saving  his  life. 

Well,  the  lad  stood  out  for  two  or  three  weeks,  but 
then  he  couldn't  hold  out  any  longer;  he  must  and 
would  go  into  that  room,  and  so  in  he  stole.  There 
stood  a  great  black  horse  tied  up  in  a  stall  by  himself, 
with  a  manger  of  red-hot  coals  at  his  head  and  a  truss 
of  hay  at  his  tail.  Then  the  lad  thought  this  all  wrong, 
so  he  changed  them  about,  and  put  the  hay  at  his  head. 
Then  said  the  Horse: 

"Since  you  are  so  good  at  heart  as  to  let  me  have 
some  food,  I'll  set  you  free,  that  I  will.  For  if  the 
Troll  comes  back  and  finds  you  here,  he'll  kill  you  out 
right.  But  now  you  must  go  up  to  the  room  which 
lies  just  over  this,  and  take  a  coat  of  mail  out  of  those 
that  hang  there ;  and  mind,  whatever  you  do,  don't  take 
any  of  the  bright  ones,  but  the  most  rusty  of  all  you 
see,  that's  the  one  to  take;  and  sword  and  saddle  you 
must  choose  for  yourself  just  in  the  same  way." 


So  the  lad  did  all  that ;  but  it  was  a  heavy  load  for 
him  to  carry  them  all  down  at  once. 

When  he  came  back,  the  Horse  told  him  to  pull  off 
his  clothes  and  get  into  the  cauldron  which  stood  and 
boiled  in  the  other  room,  and  bathe  himself  there.  "If 
I  do,"  thought  the  lad,  "I  shall  look  an  awful  fright;" 
but  for  all  that,  he  did  as  he  was  told.  So  when  he  had 
taken  his  bath,  he  became  so  handsome  and  sleek,  and 
as  red  and  white  as  milk  and  blood,  and  much  stronger 
than  he  had  been  before. 

"Do  you  feel  any  change?"  asked  the  Horse. 

"Yes,"  said  the  lad. 

"Try  and  lift  me,  then,"  said  the  Horse. 

Oh  yes !  he  could  do  that,  and  as  for  the  sword,  he 
brandished  it  like  a  feather. 

"Now  saddle  me,"  said  the  Horse,  "and  put  on  the 
coat  of  mail,  and  then  take  the  bramble-bush  rod,  and 
the  stone,  and  the  pitcher  of  water,  and  the  pot  of 
ointment,  and  then  we'll  be  off  as  fast  as  we  can." 

So  when  the  lad  had  got  on  the  horse,  off  they  went 
at  such  a  rate,  he  couldn't  at  all  tell  how  they  went.  But 
when  he  had  ridden  awhile,  the  Horse  said,  "I  think  I 
hear  a  noise ;  look  round  !  can  you  see  anything  ? " 


'54 


"Yes;  there  are  ever  so  many  coming  after  us,  at 
least  a  score,"  said  the  lad. 

"  Aye,  aye,  that's  the  Troll  coming,"  said  the  Horse ; 
"now  he's  after  us  with  his  pack." 

So  they  rode  on  a  while,  until  those  who  followed 
were  close  behind  them. 

"Now  throw  your  bramble-bush  rod  behind  you, 
over  your  shoulder,"  said  the  Horse;  "but  mind  you 
throw  it  a  good  way  off  my  back." 

So  the  lad  did  that,  and  all  at  once  a  close,  thick 
bramblewood  grew  up  behind  them.  So  the  lad  rode  on 
a  long,  long  time,  while  the  Troll  and  his  crew  had  to  go 
home  to  fetch  something  to  hew  their  way  through  the 
wood.  But  at  last  the  Horse  said  again. 

"Look  behind  you!  can  you  see  anything  now?" 

"Yes,  ever  so  many,"  said  the  lad,  "as  many  as  would 
fill  a  large  church." 

"Aye,  aye,  that's  the  Troll  and  his  crew,"  'said  the 
Horse;  "now  he's  got  more  to  back  him;  but  now  throw 
down  the  stone,  and  mind  you  throw  it  far  behind  me." 

And  as  soon  as  the  lad  did  what  the  Horse  said,  up 
rose  a  great  black  hill  of  rock  behind  him.  So  the  Troll 
had  to  be  off  home  to  fetch  something  to  mine  his  way 


'55 


through  the  rock ;  and  while  the  Troll  did  that,  the  lad 
rode  a  good  bit  further  on.  But  still  the  Horse  begged 
him  to  look  behind  him,  and  then  he  saw  a  troop  like  a 
whole  army  behind  him,  and  they  glistened  in  the  sun 
beams. 

"  Aye,  aye,"  said  the  Horse^  "  that's  the  7>0//,  and 
now  he's  got  his  whole  band  with  him,  so  throw  the 
pitcher  of  water  behind  you,  but  mind  you  don't  spill 
any  of  it  upon  me." 

So  the  lad  did  that ;  but  in  spite  of  all  the  pains  he 
took,  he  still  spilt  one  drop  on  the  horse's  flank.  So  it 
became  a  great  deep  lake ;  and  because  of  that  one  drop, 
the  horse  found  himself  far  out  in  it,  but  still  he  swam 
safe  to  land.  But  when  the  Trolls  came  to  the  lake,  they 
lay  down  to  drink  it  dry ;  arid  so  they  swilled  and  swilled 
till  they  burst. 

"  Now  we're  rid  of  them,"  said  the  Horse. 

So  when  they  had  gone  a  long,  long  while,  they  came 
to  a  green  patch  in  a  wood. 

"Now,  strip  off  all  your  arms,"  said  the  Horse ,  "and 
only  put  on  your  ragged  clothes,  and  take  the  saddle  off 
me,  and  let  me  loose,  and  hang  all  my  clothing  and 
your  arms  up  inside  that  great  hollow  lime-tree  yonder. 


156 


Then  make  yourself  a  wig  of  fir-moss,  and  go  up  to  the 
king's  palace,  which  lies  close  here,  and  ask  for  a  place. 
Whenever  you  need  me,  only  come  here  and  shake  the 
bridle,  and  I'll  come  to  you." 

Yes !  the  lad  did  all  his  Horse  told  him,  and  as  soon 
as  ever  he  put  on  the  wig  of  moss  he  became  so  ugly,  and 
pale,  and  miserable  to  look  at,  no  one  would  have  known 
him  again.  Then  he  went  up  to  the  king's  palace  and 
begged  first  for  leave  to  be  in  the  kitchen,  and  bring  in 
wood  and  water  for  the  cook,  but  then  the  kitchen-maid 
asked  him : 

"Why  do  you  wear  that  ugly  wig?  Off  with  it. 
I  won't  have  such  a  fright  in  here." 

"No,  I  can't  do  that,"  said  the  lad;  "for  I'm  not 
quite  right  in  my  head." 

"Do  you  think  then  I'll  have  you  in  here  about  the 
food,"  cried  the  cook.  "  Away  with  you  to  the  coach 
man;  you're  best  fit  to  go  and  clean  the  stable." 

But  when  the  coachman  begged  him  to  take  his  wig 
off,  he  got  the  same  answer,  and  he  wouldn't  have  him 
either. 

"You'd  best  go  down  to  the  gardener,"  said  he; 
"you're  best  fit  to  go  about  and  dig  in  the  garden." 


So  he  got  leave 
to  be  with  the  gar 
dener,  but  none  of 
the  other  servants 
would  sleep  with 
him,  and  so  he  had 
to  sleep  by  himself 
under  the  steps  of 
the  summer-house. 
It  stood  upon 
beams,  and  had  a 
high  staircase. 
Under  that  he  got 
some  turf  for  his 
bed,  and  there  he  lay  as  well  as  he  could. 

So,  when  he  had  been  some  time  at  the  palace,  it 
happened  one  morning,  just  as  the  sun  rose,  that  the  lad 
had  taken  off  his  wig,  and  stood  and  washed  himself, 
and  then  he  was  so  handsome,  it  was  a  joy  to  look  at  him. 
So  the  Princess  saw  from  her  window  the  lovely 
gardener's  boy,  and  thought  she  had  never  seen  any  one 
so  handsome.  Then  she  asked  the  gardener  why  he  lay 
out  there  under  the  steps. 


158 


"Oh,"  said  the  gardener,  "none  of  his  fellow-ser 
vants  will  sleep  with  him ;  that's  why." 

"Let  him  come  up  to-night,  and  lie  at  the  door 
inside  my  bedroom,  and  then  they'll  not  refuse  to  sleep 
with  him  any  more,"  said  the  Princess. 

So  the  gardener  told  that  to  the  lad. 

"Do  you  think  I'll  do  any  such  thing?"  said  the 
lad.  "Why  they'd  say  next  there  was  something  between 
me  and  the  Princess" 

"Yes,"  said  the  gardener,  "you've  good  reason  to 
fear  any  such  thing,  you  who  are  so  handsome." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  lad,  "since  it's  her  will,  I 
suppose  I  must  go." 

So,  when  he  was  to  go  up  the  steps  in  the  evening, 
he  tramped  and  stamped  so  on  the  way,  that  they  had 
to  beg  him  to  tread  softly  lest  the  King  should  come  to 
know  it.  So  he  came  into  the  Princess*  bedroom,  lay 
down,  and  began  to  snore  at  once.  Then  the  Princess 
said  to  her  maid  : 

"Go  gently,  and  just  pull  his  wig  off;"  and  she 
went  up  to  him. 

But  just  as  she  was  going  to  whisk  it  off,  he  caught 
hold  of  it  with  both  hands,  and  said  she  should  never 


'59 


have  it.  After  that  he  lay  down  again,  and  began  to 
snore.  Then  the  Princess  gave  her  maid  a  wink,  and 
this  time  she  whisked  off  the  wig ;  and  there  lay  the  lad 
so  lovely,  and  white  and  red,  just  as  the  Princess  had 
seen  him  in  the  morning  sun. 

After  that  the  lad  slept  every  night  in  the  Princess* 
bedroom. 

But  it  wasn't  long  before  the  King  came  to  hear  how 
the  gardener's  lad  slept  every  night  in  the  Princess'  bed 
room  ;  and  he  got  so  wroth  he  almost  took  the  lad's  life. 
He  didn't  do  that,  however,  but  he  threw  him  into'  the 
prison  tower;  and  as  for  his  daughter,  he  shut  her  up 
in  her  own  room,  whence  she  never  got  leave  to  stir  day 
or  night.  All  that  she  begged,  and  all  that  she  prayed, 
for  the  lad  and  herself,  was  no  good.  The  King  was 
only  more  wroth  than  ever. 

Some  time  after  came  a  war  and  uproar  in  the  land, 
and  the  King  had  to  take  up  arms  against  another  king 
who  wished  to  take  the  kingdom  from  him.  So  when 
the  lad  heard  that,  he  begged  the  gaoler  to  go  to  the 
King  and  ask  for  a  coat  of  mail  and  a  sword,  and  for 
leave  to  go  to  the  war.  All  the  rest  laughed  when  the 
gaoler  told  his  errand,  and  begged  the  King  to  let  him 


1 60 


The  Lad  in  the  Battle.    Page  161 


have  an  old  worn-out  suit,  that  they  might  have  the  fun 
of  seeing  such  a  wretch  in  battle.  So  he  got  that,  and 
an  old  broken-down  hack  besides,  which  went  upon 
three  legs,  and  dragged  the  fourth  after  it. 

Then  they  went  out  to  meet  the  foe ;  but  they  hadn't 
got  far  from  the  palace  before  the  lad  got  stuck  fast  in  a  bog 
with  his  hack.  There  he  sat  and  dug  his  spurs  in,  and 
cried,  "Gee  up!  gee  up!"  to  his  hack.  And  all  the  rest 
had  their  fun  out  of  this,  and  laughed,  and  made  game  of  the 
lad  as  they  rode  past  him.  But  they  were  scarcely  gone, 
before  he  ran  to  the  lime-tree,  threw  on  his  coat  of  mail, 
and  shook  the  bridle,  and  there  came  the  Horse  in  a  trice, 
and  said  :  "  Do  now  your  best,  and  I'll  do  mine." 

But  when  the  lad  came  up  the  battle  had  begun, 
and  the  King  was  in  a  sad  pinch;  but  no  sooner  had 
the  lad  rushed  into  the  thick  of  it  than  the  foe  was 
beaten  back,  and  put  to  flight.  The  King  and  his  men 
wondered  and  wondered  who  it  could  be  who  had  come 
to  help  them,  but  none  of  them  got  so  near  him  as  to 
be  able  to  talk  to  him,  and  as  soon  as  the  fight  was 
over  he  was  gone.  When  they  went  back,  there  sat  the 
lad  still  in  the  bog,  and  dug  his  spurs  into  his  three- 
legged  hack,  and  they  all  laughed  again. 


161 


"No!  only  just  look,"  they  said;  "there  the  fool  sits 
still." 

The  next  day  when  they  went  out  to  battle,  they 
saw  the  lad  sitting  there  still,  so  they  laughed  again,  and 
made  game  of  him ;  but  as  soon  as  ever  they  had  ridden 
by,  the  lad  ran  again  to  the  lime-tree,  and  all  happened 
as  on  the  first  day.  Every  one  wondered  what  strange 
champion  it  could  be  that  had  helped  them,  but  no  one 
got  so  near  him  as  to  say  a  word  to  him ;  and  no  one 
guessed  it  could  be  the  lad ;  that's  easy  to  understand. 

So  when  they  went  home  at  night,  and  saw  the  lad 
still  sitting  there  on  his  hack,  they  burst  out  laughing  at 
him  again,  and  one  of  them  shot  an  arrow  at  him  and 
hit  him  in  the  leg.  So  he  began  to  shriek  and  to  bewail ; 
'twas  enough  to  break  one's  heart ;  and  so  the  King  threw 
his  pocket-handkerchief  to  him  to  bind  his  wound. 

When  they  went  out  to  battle  the  third  day,  the  lad 
still  sat  there. 

"  Gee  up !  gee  up ! "  he  said  to  his  hack. 

"Nay,  nay,"  said  the  Kings  men;  "if  he  won't  stick- 
there  till  he's  starved  to  death." 

And  then  they  rode  on,  and  laughed  at  him  till  they 
were  fit  to  fall  from  their  horses.  When  they  were 


162 


gone,  he  ran  again  to  the  lime,  and  came  up  to  the 
battle  just  in  the  very  nick  of  time.  This  day  he  slew 
the  enemy's  king,  and  then  the  war  was  over  at  once. 

When  the  battle  was  over,  the  King  caught  sight  of 
his  handkerchief,  which  the  strange  warrior  had  bound 
round  his  leg,  and  so  it  wasn't  hard  to  find  him  out. 
So  they  took  him  with  great  joy  between  them  to  the 
palace,  and  the  Princess,  who  saw  him  from  her  window, 
got  so  glad,  no  one  can  believe  it. 

"Here  comes  my  own  true  love,"  she  said. 

Then  he  took  the  pot  of  ointment  and  rubbed  him 
self  on  the  leg,  and  after  that  he  rubbed  all  the  wounded, 
and  so  they  all  got  well  again  in  a  moment. 

So  he  got  the  Princess  to  wife;  but  when  he  went 
down  into  the  stable  where  his  horse  was  on  the  day 
the  wedding  was  to  be,  there  it  stood  so  dull  and  heavy, 
and  hung  its  ears  down,  and  wouldn't  eat  its  corn.  So 
when  the  young  King — for  he  was  now  a  king,  and 
had  got  half  the  kingdom — spoke  to  him,  and  asked 
what  ailed  him,  the  Horse  said : 

"Now  I  have  helped  you  on,  and  now  I  won't  live 
any  longer.  So  just  take  the  sword,  and  cut  my  head 
off." 


163 


"No,  I'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  said  the  young 
King\  "but  you  shall  have  all  you  want,  and  rest  all 
your  life." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Horse,  "  if  you  don't  do  as  I  tell 
you,  see  if  I  don't  take  your  life  somehow." 

So  the  King  had  to  do  what  he  asked ;  but  when  he 
swung  the  sword  and  was  to  cut  his  head  off,  he  was  so 
sorry  he  turned  away  his  face,  for  he  would  not  see  the 
stroke  fall.  But  as  soon  as  ever  he  had  cut  off  the 

head,  there  stood 
the  loveliest  Prince 
on  the  spot  where 
the  horse  had 
stood. 

"Why,  where 
in  all  the  world 
did  you  come 
from?"  asked  the 
King. 

"It  was  I  who 
was  a  horse,"  said 
the  Prince\  "for 
I  was  king  of  that 


164 


land  whose  king  you  slew  yesterday.  He  it  was  who 
threw  this  Troll's  shape  over  me,  and  sold  me  to  the 
Troll.  But  now  he  is  slain  I  get  my  own  again,  and  you 
and  I  will  be  neighbour  kings,  but  war  we  will  never 
make  on  one  another." 

And  they  didn't  either ;  for  they  were  friends  as 
long  as  they  lived,  and  each  paid  the  other  very  many 
visits. 


165 


THE  THREE   BILLY-GOATS  GRUFF 

|  NCE  on  a  time  there  were  three  Billy-goats ^  who 
were  to  go  up  to  the  hill-side  to  make  them 
selves  fat,  and  the  name  of  all  three  was  "Gruff" 

On  the  way  up  was  a  bridge  over  a  burn  they  had  to 
cross ;  and  under  the  bridge  lived  a  great  ugly  Troll \  with 
eyes  as  big  as  saucers,  and  a  nose  as  long  as  a  poker. 

So  first  of  alF  came  the  youngest  billy-goat  Gruff  to 
crogs  the  bridge. 

''Trip,  trap! 
trip,  trap!"  went 
the  bridge. 

"  WHO'S  THAT 
tripping  over  my 
bridge  ?  "  roared 
the  Troll. 

"Oh  !  it  is 
only  I,  the  tiniest 
billy-goat  Gruff; 
and  I'm  going  up 
to  the  hill-side  to 
make  myself  fat," 


167 


said  the  billy-goat,  with  such  a  small  voice. 

"Now,  I'm  coming  to  gobble  you  up,"  said  the 
Troll. 

"  Oh,  no !  pray  don't  take  me.  I'm  too  little,  that  I 
am,"  said  the  billy-goat ;  "wait  a  bit  till  the  second  billy- 
goat  Gruff  comes,  he's  much  bigger." 

"Well!   be  off  with  you,"  said  the  Troll. 

A  little  while  after  came  the  second  billy-goat  Gruff 
to  cross  the  bridge. 

"  TRIP,  TRAP  !  TRIP,  TRAP  !  TRIP,  TRAP  ! "  went  the  bridge. 

"WHO'S  THAT  tripping  over  my  bridge?"  roared 
the  Troll. 

"Oh!  it's  the  second  billy-goat  Gruff ^  and  I'm  going 
up  to  the  hill-side  to  make  myself  fat,"  said  the  billy-goat, 
who  hadn't  such  a  small  voice. 

"  Now,  I'm  coming  to  gobble  you  up,"  said  the  Troll. 

"  Oh,  no !  don't  take  me,  wait  a  little  till  the  big  billy- 
goat  Gruff  comes,  he's  much  bigger." 

"Very  well!  be  off  with  you,"  said  the  Troll. 

But  just  then  up  came  the  big  billy-goat  Gruff. 

"TRIP,  TRAP!  TRIP,  TRAP!  TRIP,  TRAP!" 
went  the  bridge,  for  the  billy-goat  was  so  heavy  that  the 
bridge  creaked  and  groaned  under  him. 


168 


,'  bent  down  to  take  the  rose  a  big  dense  snow-drift 
came  and  carried  them  aivay.    Page  173 


<c 


Aft     Afc 

WHO'S  THAT  tramping  over  my  bridge  ?  "  roared 
the  Troll. 

"IT'S  I!  THE  BIG  BILLY-GOAT  GRUFF,"  said 

the  billy-goat,  who  had  an  ugly  hoarse  voice  of  his  own. 
"Now,  I'm  coming  to  gobble  you  up,"  roared  the 
Troll. 

"  Well,  come  along  !     I  Ve  got  two  spears, 
And  I  '11  poke  your  eyeballs  out  at  your  ears  ; 
I've  got  besides  two  curling-stones, 
And  I'll  crush  you  to  bits,  body  and  bones.'* 

That  was  what  the  big  billy-goat  said ;  and  so  he  flew 
•at  the  Troll  and  poked  his  eyes  out  with  his  horns,  and 
.crushed  him  to  bits,  body  and  bones,  and  tossed  him  out 
into  the  burn,  and  after  that  he  went  up  to  the  hill-side. 
There  the  billy-goats  got  so  fat  they  were  scarce  able  to 
walk  home  again ;  and  if  the  fat  hasn't  fallen  off  them, 
why  they're  still  fat;  and  so: 

Snip,  snap,  snout, 
This  tale's  told  out. 


THE  THREE   PRINCESSES 
IN  THE  BLUE  MOUNTAIN 

were  once  upon  a  time  a  King  and  Queen 
who  had  no  children,  and  they  took  it  so  much 
to  heart  that  they  hardly  ever  had  a  happy 
moment.  One  day  the  King  stood  in  the  portico  and 
looked  out  over  the  big  meadows  and  all  that  was  his. 
But  he  felt  he  could  have  no  enjoyment  out  of  it  all,  since 
he  did  not  know  what  would  become  of  it  after  his  time. 
As  he  stood  there  pondering,  an  old  beggar  woman  came 
up  to  him  and  asked  him  for  a  trifle  in  heaven's  name. 
She  greeted  him  and  curtsied,  and  asked  what  ailed  the 
King)  since  he  looked  so  sad. 

"  You  can't  do  anything  to  help  me,  my  good  woman," 
said  the  King^  "it's  no  use  telling  you." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  about  that,"  said  the  beggar 
woman.  "Very  little  is  wanted  when  luck  is  in  the 
way.  The  King  is  thinking  that  he  has  no  heir  to  his 
crown  and  kingdom,  but  he  need  not  mourn  on  that 
account,"  she  said.  "  The  Queen  shall  have  three 
daughters,  but  great  care  must  be  taken  that  they  do  not 
come  out  under  the  open  heavens  before  they  are  all 


171 


fifteen  years  old ;  otherwise  a  snowdrift  will  come  and 
carry  them  away." 

When  the  time  came  the  Queen  had  a  beautiful  baby 
girl ;  the  year  after  she  had  another,  and  the  third  year 
she  also  had  a  girl. 

The  King  and  Queen  were  glad  beyond  all  measure ; 
but  although  the  King  was  very  happy,  he  did  not  forget 
to  set  a  watch  at  the  Palace  door,  so  that  the  Princesses 
should  not  get  out. 

As  they  grew  up  they  became  both  fair  and  beautiful, 
and  all  went  well  with  them  in  every  way.  Their  only 
sorrow  was  that  they  were  not  allowed  to  go  out  and  play 
like  other  children.  For  all  they  begged  and  prayed 
their  parents,  and  for  all  they  besought  the  sentinel,  it 
was  of  no  avail ;  go  out  they  must  not  before  they  were 
fifteen  years  old,  all  of  them. 

So  one  day,  not  long  before  the  fifteenth  birthday  of 
the  youngest  Princess^  the  King  and  the  Queen  were  out 
driving,  and  the  Princesses  were  standing  at  the  window 
and  looking  out.  The  sun  was  shining,  and  everything 
looked  so  green  and  beautiful  that  they  felt  that  they 
must  go  out,  happen  what  might.  So  they  begged  and 
entreated  and  urged  the  sentinel,  all  three  of  them,  that 


172 


he  should  let  them  down  into  the  garden.  "He  could 
see  for  himself  how  warm  and  pleasant  it  was ;  no  Snowy 
weather  could  come  on  such  a  day."  Well,  he  didn't 
think  it  looked  much  like  it  either,  and  if  they  must  go 
they  had  better  go,  the  soldier  said ;  but  it  must  only  be 
for  a  minute,  and  he  himself  would  go  with  them  and 
look  after  them. 

When  they  got  down  into  the  garden  they  ran  up  and 
down,  and  filled  their  laps  with  flowers  and  green  leaves, 
the  prettiest  they  could  find.  At  last  they  could  manage 
no  more,  but  just  as  they  were  going  indoors  they  caught 
sight  of  a  large  rose  at  the  other  end  of  the  garden.  It  was 
many  times  prettier  than  any  they  had  gathered,  so  they 
must  have  that  also.  But  just  as  they  bent  down  to  take 
the  rose  a  big  dense  snowdrift  came  and  carried  them  away. 

There  was  great  mourning  over  the  whole  country, 
and  the  King  made  known  from  all  the  churches  that  any 
one  who  could  save  the  Princesses  should  have  half  the 
kingdom  and  his  golden  crown  and  whichever  princess 
he  liked  to  choose. 

You  can  well  understand  there  were  plenty  who  wanted 
to  gain  half  the  kingdom,  and  a  princess  into  the  bargain ; 
so  there  were  people  of  both  high  and  low  degree  who 


set  out  for  all  parts  of  the  country.  But  there  was  no 
one  who  could  find  the  Princesses,  or  even  get  any  tidings 
of  them. 

When  all  the  grand  and  rich  people  in  the  country 
had  had  their  turn,  a  captain  and  a  lieutenant  came  to  the 
Palace,  and  wanted  to  try  their  luck.  The  King  fitted 
them  out  both  with  silver  and  gold,  and  wished  them 
success  on  their  journey. 

Then  came  a  soldier,  who  lived  with  his  mother  in  a 
little  cottage  some  way  from  the  Palace.  He  had  dreamt 
one  night  that  he  also  was  trying  to  find  the  Princesses, 
When  the  morning  came  he  still  remembered  what  he  had 
dreamt,  and  told  his  mother  about  it. 

"  Some  witchery  must  have  got  hold  of  you,"  said  the 
woman,  "  but  you  must  dream  the  same  thing  three  nights 
running,  else  there  is  nothing  in  it."  And  the  next  two 
nights  the  same  thing  happened ;  he  had  the  same  dream, 
and  he  felt  he  must  go.  So  he  washed  himself  and  put 
on  his  uniform,  and  went  into  the  kitchen  at  the  Palace. 
It  was  the  day  after  the  captain  and  the  lieutenant  had 
set  out. 

"  You  had  better  go  home  again,"  said  the  King,  "the 
Princesses  are  beyond  your  reach,  I  should  say ;  and 


174 


besides,  I  have  spent  so  much  money  on  outfits  that  I 
have  nothing  left  to-day.  You  had  better  come  back 
another  time." 

"  If  I  go,  I  must  go  to-day,"  said  the  soldier.  u  Money 
I  do  not  want ;  I  only  need  a  drop  in  my  flask  and  some 
food  in  my  wallet,"  he  said ;  "  but  it  must  be  a  good 
walletful — as  much  meat  and  bacon  as  I  can  carry." 

Yes,  that  he  might  have  if  that  was  all  he  wanted. 

So  he  set  off,  and  he  had  not  gone  many  miles  before 
he  overtook  the  captain  and  the  lieutenant. 

"Where  are  you  going?  "  asked  the  captain,  when  he 
saw  the  man  in  uniform. 

"I'm  going  to  try  if  I  can  find  the  Princesses" 
answered  the  soldier. 

"So  are  we,"  said  the  captain,  "and  since  your 
errand  is  the  same,  you  may  keep  company  with  us,  for 
if  we  don't  find  them,  you  are  not  likely  to  find  them 
either,  my  lad,"  said  he. 

When  they  had  gone  awhile  the  soldier  left  the  high 
road,  and  took  a  path  into  the  forest. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  said  the  captain;  "it  is  best 
to  follow  the  high  road." 

"That  may  be,"  said  the  soldier,  "but  this  is  my  way." 


'75 


He  kept  to  the  path,  and  when  the  others  saw  this  they 
turned  round  and  followed  him.  Away  they  went  further 
and  further,  far  across  big  moors  and  along  narrow  valleys. 

And  at  last  it  became  lighter,  and  when  they  had  got 
out  of  the  forest  altogether  they  came  to  a  long  bridge, 
which  they  had  to  cross.  But  on  that  bridge  a  bear 
stood  on  guard.  He  rose  on  his  hind  legs  and  came 
towards  them,  as  if  he  wanted  to  eat  them. 

"What  shall  we  do  now?"  said  the  captain. 

"They  say  that  the  bear  is  fond  of  meat,"  said  the 
soldier,  and  then  he  threw  a  fore  quarter  to  him,  and  so 
they  got  past.  But  when  they  reached  the  other  end  of 
the  bridge,  they  saw  a  lion,  which  came  roaring  towards 
them  with  open  jaws  as  if  he  wanted  to  swallow  them. 

"I  think  we  had  better  turn  right-about,  we  shall 
never  be  able  to  get  past  him  alive,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  he  is  so  very  dangerous,"  said  the 
soldier;  "I  have  heard  that  lions  are  very  fond  of  bacon, 
and  I  have  half  a  pig  in  my  wallet ; "  and  then  he  threw 
a  ham  to  the  lion,  who  began  eating  and  gnawing,  and 
thus  they  got  past  him  also. 

In  the  evening  they  came  to  a  fine  big  house.  Each 
room  was  more  gorgeous  than  the  other ;  all  was  glitter 


176 


The  Troll  was  quite  willing,  and  before  long  he  fell  asleep 
and  began  snoring.     Page  184 


and  splendour  wherever  they  looked ;  but  that  did  not 
satisfy  their  hunger.  The  captain  and  the  lieutenant 
went  round  rattling  their  money,  and  wanted  to  buy  some 
food ;  but  they  saw  no  people  nor  could  they  find  a 
crumb  of  anything  in  the  house,  so  the  soldier  offered 
them  some  food  from  his  wallet,  which  they  were  not  too 
proud  to  accept,  nor  did  they  want  any  pressing.  They 
helped  themselves  of  what  he  had  as  if  they  had  never 
tasted  food  before. 

The  next  day  the  captain  said  they  would  have  to  go 
out  shooting  and  try  to  get  something  to  live  upon* 
Close  to  the  house  was  a  large  forest  where  there  were 
plenty  of  hares  and  birds.  The  lieutenant  was  to  remain 
at  home  and  cook  the  remainder  of  the  food  in  the 
soldier's  wallet.  In  the  meantime  the  captain  and  the 
soldier  shot  so  much  game  that  they  were  hardly  able  to 
carry  it  home.  When  they  came  to  the  door  they  found 
the  lieutenant  in  such  a  terrible  plight  that  he  was  scarcely 
able  to  open  the  door  to  them. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you?"  said  the  captain. 
The  lieutenant  then  told  them  that  as  soon  as  they  were 
gone  a  tiny,  little  man,  with  a  long  beard,  who  went  on 
crutches,  came  in  and  asked  so  plaintively  for  a  penny  ;  but 


177 


no  sooner  had  he  got  it  than  he  let  it  fall  on  the  floor, 
and  for  all  he  raked  and  scraped  with  his  crutch  he  was 
not  able  to  get  hold  of  it,  so  stiff  and  stark  was  he. 

"I  pitied  the  poor,  old  body,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
"and  so  I  bent  down  to  pick  up  the  penny,  but  then  he 
was  neither  stiff  nor  stark  any  longer.  He  began  to 
belabour  me  with  his  crutches  till  very  soon  I  was  unable 
to  move  a  limb." 

"You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself!  you,  one  of 
the  king's  officers,  to  let  an  old  cripple  give  you  a  thrash 
ing,  and  then  tell  people  of  it  into  the  bargain ! "  said  the 
captain.  "  Pshaw !  to-morrow  I'll  stop  at  home,  and  then, 
you'll  hear  another  story." 

The  next  day  the  lieutenant  and  the  soldier  went  out 
shooting  and  the  captain  remained  at  home  to  do  the 
cooking  and  look  after  the  house.  But  if  he  fared  no 
worse,  he  certainly  fared  no  better  than  the  lieutenant. 
In  a  little  while  the  old  man  came  in  and  asked  for  a 
penny.  He  let  it  fall  as  soon  as  he  got  it ;  gone  it  was 
and  could  hot  be  found.  So  he  asked  the  captain  to  help 
him  to  find  it,  and  the  captain,  without  giving  a  thought, 
bent  down  to  look  for  it.  But  no  sooner  was  he  on  his 
knees  than  the  cripple  began  belabouring  him  with  his 


178 


crutches,  and  every  time  the  captain  tried  to  rise,  he  got 
a  blow  which  sent  him  reeling.  When  the  others  came 
home  in  the  evening,  he  still  lay  on  the  same  spot  and 
could  neither  see  nor  speak. 

The  third  day  the  soldier  was  to  remain  at  home, 
while  the  other  two  went  out  shooting.  The  captain 
said  he  must  take  care  of  himself,  "for  the  old  fellow  will 
soon  put  an  end  to  you,  my  lad,"  said  he. 

"Oh,  there  can't  be  much  life  in  one  if  such  an  old 
crook  can  take  it,"  said  the  soldier. 

They  were  no  sooner  outside  the  door,  than  the  old 
man  came  in  and  asked  for  a  penny  again. 

"Money  I  have  never  owned,"  said  the  soldier,  "hut 
food  I'll  give  you,  as  soon  as  it  is  ready,"  said  he,  "but 
if  we  are  to  get  it  cooked,  you  must  go  and  cut  the 
wood." 

"That  I  can't,"  said  the  old  man. 

"If  you  can't,  you  must  learn,"  said  the  soldier. 
"  I  will  soon  show  you.  Come  along  with  me  down  to  the 
wood-shed."  There  he  dragged  out  a  heavy  log  and  cut 
a  cleft  in  it,  and  drove  in  a  wedge  till  the  cleft  deepened. 

"  Now  you  must  lie  down  and  look  right  along  the  cleft, 
and  you'll  soon  learn  how  to  cut  wood,"  said  the  soldier. 


179 


"In  the  meantime  I'll  show  you  how  to  use  the  axe." 

The  old  man  was  not  sufficiently  cunning,  and  did  as 
he  was  told ;  he  lay  down  and  looked  steadily  along  the 
log.  When  the  soldier  saw  the  old  man's  beard  had  got 
well  into  the  cleft,  he  struck  out  the  wedge;  the  cleft 
closed  and  the  old  man  was  caught  by  the  beard.  The 
soldier  began  to  beat  him  with  the  axe  handle,  and  then 
swung  the  axe  round  his  head,  and  vowed  that  he  would 
split  his  skull  if  he  did  not  tell  him,  there  and  then,  where 
the  Princesses  were. 

"  Spare  my  life,  spare  my  life,  and  I'll  tell  you ! "  said 
the  old  man.  "To  the  east  of  the  house  there  is  a  big 
mound ;  on  top  of  the  mound  you  must  dig  out  a  square 
piece  of  turf,  and  then  you  will  see  a  big  stone  slab. 
Under  that  there  is  a  deep  hole  through  which  you  must 
let  yourself  down,  and  you'll  then  come  to  another  world 
where  you  will  find  the  Princesses.  But  the  way  is  long 
and  dark  and  it  goes  both  through  fire  and  water." 

When  the  soldier  got  to  know  this,  he  released  the 
old  man,  who  was  not  long  in  making  off. 

When  the  captain  and  lieutenant  came  home  they 
were  surprised  to  find  the  soldier  alive.  He  told  them 
what  had  happened  from  first  to  last,  where  the  Princesses 
SL*  Afci  i&Kk  AEi  xXKk  ^ngk  Aft* 

*^W          PUn          ITO          PljK          9VQ          W^          ^jra 

180 


were  and  how  they  should  find  them.  They  became  as 
pleased  as  if  they  had  already  found  them,  and  when  they 
had  had  some  food,  they  took  with  them  a  basket  and  as 
much  rope  as  they  could  find,  and  all  three  set  off  to  the 
mound.  There  they  first  dug  out  the  turf  just  as  the  old 
man  had  told  them,  and  underneath  they  found  a  big  stone 
slab,  which  it  took  all  their  strength  to  turn  over.  They 
then  began  to  measure  how  deep  it  was ;  they  joined  on 
ropes  both  two  and  three  times,  but  they  were  no  nearer 
the  bottom  the  last  time  than  the  first.  At  last  they  had 
to  join  all  the  ropes  they  had,  both  the  coarse  and  fine, 
and  then  they  found  it  reached  the  bottom. 

The  captain  was,  of  course,  the  first  who  wanted 
to  descend  ;  "  But  when  I  tug  at  the  rope  you  must 
make  haste  to  drag  me  up  again,"  he  said.  He  found 
the  way  both  dark  and  unpleasant,  but  he  thought  he 
would  go  on  as  long  as  it  became  no  worse.  But  all  at 
once  he  felt  ice  cold  water  spouting  about  his  ears ;  he 
became  frightened  to  death  and  began  tugging  at  the  rope. 

The  lieutenant  was  the  next  to  try,  but  it  fared  no 
better  with  him.  No  sooner  had  he  got  through  the 
flood  of  water  than  he  saw  a  blazing  fire  yawning  beneath 
him,  which  so  frightened  him  that  he  also  turned  back. 

«SLt      42k       £Lt      dEb      ^nfti 
<^^9  ^^W  C^T3  ^^W  &&3 

1*1 


The  soldier  then  got  into  the  bucket,  and  down  he 
went  through  fire  and  water,  right  on  till  he  came  to  the 
bottom,  where  it  was  so  pitch  dark  that  he  could  not  see 
his  hand  before  him.  He  dared  not  let  go  the  basket, 
but  went  round  in  a  circle,  feeling  and  fumbling  about 
him.  At  last  he  discovered  a  gleam  of  light  far,  far 
away  like  the  dawn  of  day,  and  he  went  on  in  that 
direction. 

When  he  had  gone  a  bit  it  began  to  grow  light  around 
him,  and  before  long  he  saw  a  golden  sun  rising  in  the 
sky  and  everything  around  him  became  as  bright  and 
beautiful  as  if  in  a  fairy  world. 

First  he  came  to  some  cattle,  which  were  so  fat  that 
their  hides  glistened  a  long  way  off,  and  when  he  had  got 
past  them  he  came  to  a  fine,  big  palace.  He  walked 
through  many  rooms  without  meeting  anybody.  At  last 
he  heard  the  hum  of  a  spinning  wheel,  and  when  he 
entered  the  room  he  found  the  eldest  Princess  sitting 
there  spinning  copper  yarn ;  the  room  and  everything  in 
it  was  of  brightly  polished  copper. 

"Oh,  dear ;  oh,  dear !  what  are  Christian  people  doing 
here  ? "  said  the  Princess.  "  Heaven  preserve  you !  what 
do  you  want  ?  " 


"  I  want  to 
set  you  free  and 
get  you  out  of  the 
mountain,"  said 
the  soldier. 

"  Pray  do  not 
stay.  If  the  troll 
comes  home  he 
will  put  an  end  to 
you  at  once  ;  he 
has  three  heads," 
said  she. 

"  I  do  not  care 
if  he  has  four," 
said  the  soldier.  "  I  am  here,  and  here  I  shall  remain." 

"Well,  if  you  will  be  so  headstrong,  I  must  see  if  I 
can  help  you,"  said  the  Princess. 

She  then  told  him  to  creep  behind  the  big  brewing- 
vat  which  stood  in  the  front  hall ;  meanwhile  she  would 
receive  the  troll  and  scratch  his  heads  till  he  went  to  sleep. 

"And  when  I  go  out  and  call  the  hens  you  must 
make  haste  and  come  in,"  she  said.  "  But  you  must  first 
try  if  you  can  swing  the  sword  which  is  lying  on  the 


183 


table."  No,  it  was  too  heavy,  he  could  not  even  move 
it.  He  had  then  to  take  a  strengthening  draught  from 
the  horn,  which  hung  behind  the  door;  after  that  he 
was  just  able  to  stir  it,  so  he  took  another  draught, 
and  then  he  could  lift  it.  At  last  he  took  a  right, 
big  draught,  and  he  could  swing  the  sword  as  easily  as 
anything. 

All  at  once  the  troll  came  home;  he  walked  so 
heavily  that  the  palace  shook. 

"  Ugh,  ugh  !  I  smell  Christian  flesh  and  blood  in 
my  house,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Princess  ,  "a  raven  flew  past  here 
just  now,  and  in  his  beak  he  had  a  human  bone,  which 
he  dropped  down  the  chimney  ;  I  threw  it  out  and  swept 
and  cleaned  up  after  it,  but  I  suppose  it  still  smells." 

"  So  it  does,"  said  the  troll. 

"  But  come  and  lie  down  and  I'll  scratch  your  heads," 
said  the  Princess  ;  "the  smell  will  be  gone  by  the  time 
you  wake." 

The  troll  was  quite  willing,  and  before  long  he  fell 
asleep  and  began  snoring.  When  she  saw  he  was  sleep 
ing  soundly,  she  placed  some  stools  and  cushions  under 
his  heads  and  went  to  call  the  hens.  The  soldier  then 


I84 


As  soon  as  they  tugged  at  the  rope,  the  Captain  and  the  Lieutenant  pulled  up 
the  Princesses,  the  one  after  the  other.    Page  190 


stole  into  the  room  with  the  sword,  and  with  one  blow 
cut  all  the  three  heads  off  the  troll. 

The  Princess  was  as  pleased  as  a  fiddler,  and  went 
with  the  soldier  to  her  sisters,  so  that  he  could  also  set 
them  free.  First  of  all  they  went  across  a  courtyard  and 
then  through  many  long  rooms  till  they  came  to  a  big 
door. 

"  Here  you  must  enter :  here  she  is,"  said  the  Princess. 
When  he  opened  the  door  he  found  himself  in  a  large 
hall,  where  everything  was  of  pure  silver;  there  sat  the 
second  sister  at  a  silver  spinning-wheel. 

"Oh,  dear;  oh,  dear!"  she  said.  uWhat  do  you 
want  here?" 

"I  want  to  set  you  free  from  the  troll,"  said  the 
soldier. 

"Pray  do  not  stay,  but  go,"  said  the  Princess.  "If 
he  finds  you  here  he  will  take  your  life  on  the  spot." 

"That  would  be  awkward — that  is  if  I  don't  take  his 
first,"  said  the  soldier. 

"Well,  since  you  will  stay,"  she  said,  "you  will  have 
to  creep  behind  the  big  brewing- vat  in  the  front  hall.  But 
you  must  make  haste  and  come  as  soon  as  you  hear  me 
calling  the  hens." 


2  A  185 


First  of  all  he  had  to  try  if  he  was  able  to  swing  the 
troll's  sword,  which  lay  on  the  table;  it  was  much  larger 
and  heavier  than  the  first  one ;  he  was  hardly  able  to  move 
it.  He  then  took  three  draughts  from  the  horn  and  he 
could  then  lift  it,  and  when  he  had  taken  three  more  he 
could  handle  it  as  if  it  were  a  rolling  pin. 

Shortly  afterwards  he  heard  a  heavy,  rumbling  noise 
that  was  quite  terrible,  and  directly  afterwards  a  troll  with 
six  heads  came  in. 

"  Ugh,  ugh ! "  he  said  as  soon  as  he  got  his  noses 
inside  the  door.  "I  smell  Christian  blood  and  bone  in 
my  house." 

"  Yes,  just  think !  A  raven  came  flying  past  here  with 
a  thigh-bone,  which  he  dropped  down  the  chimney,"  said 
the  Princess.  "  I  threw  it  out,  but  the  raven  brought  it 
back  again.  At  last  I  got  rid  of  it  and  made  haste  to 
clean  the  room,  but  I  suppose  the  smell  is  not  quite  gone," 
she  said. 

"No,  I  can  smell  it  well,"  said  the  troll ;  but  he  was 
tired  and  put  his  heads  in  the  Princesses  lap,  and  she  went 
on  scratching  them  till  they  all  fell  a-snoring.  Then  she 
called  the  hens,  and  the  soldier  came  and  cut  off  all  the 
six  heads  as  if  they  were  set  on  cabbage  stalks. 


186 


She  was  no  less  glad  than  her  elder  sister,  as  you  may 
imagine,  and  danced  and  sang ;  but  in  the  midst  of  their 
joy  they  remembered  their  youngest  sister.  They  went 
with  the  soldier  across  a  large  courtyard,  and,  after  walking 
through  many,  many  rooms,  he  came  to  the  hall  of  gold 
where  the  third  sister  was. 

She  sat  at  a  golden  spinning-wheel  spinning  gold  yarn, 
and  the  room  from  ceiling  to  floor  glistened  and  glittered 
till  it  hurt  one's  eyes. 

"Heaven  preserve  both  you  and  me,  what  do  you 
want  here?"  said  the  Princess.  "Go,  go,  else  the  trol) 
will  kill  us  both." 

"Just  as  well  two  as  one,"  answered  the  soldier.  The 
Princess  cried  and  wept ;  but  it  was  all  of  no  use,  he  must 
and  would  remain.  Since  there  was  no  help  for  it  he 
would  have  to  try  if  he  could  use  the  troll's  sword  on 
the  table  in  the  front  hall.  But  he  was  only  just  able  to 
move  it ;  it  was  still  larger  and  heavier  than  the  other  two. 
swords. 

He  then  had  to  take  the  horn  down  from  the  wall 
and  take  three  draughts  from  it,  but  was  only  just  able  to 
stir  the  sword.  When  he  had  taken  three  more  draughts 
he  could  lift  it,  and  when  he  had  taken  another  three  he 


I87 


swung  it  as  easily 
as  if  it  had  been  a 
feather. 

The  Princess 
then  settled  with 
the  soldier  to  do 
the  same  as  her 
sisters  had  done. 
As  soon  as  the  troll 
was  well  asleep  she 
would  call  the 
hens,  and  he  must 
then  make  haste 
and  come  in  and 
put  an  end  to  the  troll. 

All  of  a  sudden  they  heard  such  a  thundering,  ram 
bling  noise,  as  if  the  walls  and  roof  were  tumbling  in. 

"  Ugh !  Ugh  !  I  smell  Christian  blood  and  bone  in 
my  house,"  said  the  troll,  sniffing  with  all  his  nine  noses. 
"  Yes,  you  never  saw  the  like !  Just  now  a  raven  flew 
past  here  and  dropped  a  human  bone  down  the  chimney. 
I  threw  it  out,  but  the  raven  brought  it  back,  and  this 
went  on  for  some  time,"  said  the  Princess;  but  she  got  it 


188 


buried  at  last,  she  said,  and  she  had  both  swept  and 
cleaned  the  place,  but  she  supposed  it  still  smelt. 

"Yes,  I  can  smell  it  well,"  said  the  troll. 

"Come  here  and  lie  down  in  my  lap  and  I  will 
scratch  your  heads,"  said  the  Princess.  "The  smell  will 
be  all  gone  when  you  awake." 

He  did  so,  and  when  he  was  snoring  at  his  best  she 
put  stools  and  cushions  under  the  heads  so  that  she  could 
get  away  to  call  the  hens.  The  soldier  then  came  in  in 
his  stockinged  feet  and  struck  at  the  troll,  so  that  eight 
of  the  heads  fell  off  at  one  blow.  But  the  sword  was 
too  short  and  did  not  reach  far  enough;  the  ninth  head 
woke  up  and  began  to  roar. 

"Ugh!  Ugh!   I  smell  a  Christian." 

"  Yes,  here  he  is,"  answered  the  soldier,  and  before 
the  troll  could  get  up  and  seize  hold  of  him  the  soldier 
struck  him  another  blow  and  the  last  head  rolled  along 
the  floor. 

You  can  well  imagine  how  glad  the  Princesses  became 
now  that  they  no  longer  had  to  sit  and  scratch  the  trolls' 
heads ;  they  did  not  know  how  they  could  do  enough  for 
him  who  had  saved  them.  The  youngest  Princess  took  off 
her  gold  ring  and  knotted  it  in  his  hair.  They  then  took 


with  them  as  much  gold  and  silver  as  they  thought  they 
could  carry  and  set  off  on  their  way  home. 

As  soon  as  they  tugged  at  the  rope  the  captain  and  the 
lieutenant  pulled  up  the  Princesses,  the  one  after  the  othen 
But  when  they  were  safely  up,  the  soldier  thought  it  was 
foolish  of  him  not  to  have  gone  up  before  the  Princesses, 
for  he.  had  not  very  much  belief  in  his  comrades.  He 
thought  he  would  first  try  them,  so  he  put  a  heavy  lump 
of  gold  in  the  basket  arid  got  out  of  the  way.  When  the 
basket  was  half-way  up  they  cut  the  rope  and  the  lump 
of  gold  fell  to  the  bottom  with  such  a  crash  that  the  pieces 
flew  about  his  ears. 

"Now  we  are  rid  of  him,"  they  said,  and  threatened 
the  Princesses  with  their  life  if  they  did  not  say  that  it  was 
they  who  had  saved  them  from  the  trolls.  They  were 
forced  to  agree  to  this,  much  against  their  will,  and  es 
pecially  the  youngest  Princess ;  but  life  was  precious,  and 
so  the  two  who  were  strongest  had  their  way. 

When  the  captain  and  lieutenant  got  home  with  the 
Princesses  you  may  be  sure  there  were  great  rejoicings  at 
the  palace.  The  King  was  so  glad  he  didn't  know  which 
leg  to  stand  on;  he  brought  out  his  best  wine  from  his 
cupboard  and  wished  the  two  officers  welcome.  If  they 


had  never  been  honoured  before  they  were  honoured  now 
in  full  measure,  and  no  mistake.  They  walked  and  strutted 
about  the  whole  of  the  day,  as  if  they  were  the  cocks  of 
the  walk,  since  they  were  now  going  to  have  the  King 
for  father-in-law.  For  it  was  understood  they  should 
each  have  whichever  of  the  Princesses  they  liked  and  half 
the  kingdom  between  them.  They  both  wanted  the 
youngest  Princess^  but  for  all  they  prayed  and  threatened 
her  it  was  of  no  use ;  she  would  not  hear  or  listen  to 
either. 

They  then  asked  the  King  if  they  might  have  twelve 
men  to  watch  over  her ;  she  was  so  sad  and  melancholy 
since  she  had  been  in  the  mountain  that  they  were  afraid 
she  might  do  something  to  herself. 

Yes,  that  they  might  have,  and  the  King  himself  told 
the  watch  they  must  look  well  after  her  and  follow  her 
wherever  she  went  and  stood. 

They  then  began  to  prepare  for  the  wedding  of  the 
two  eldest  sisters;  it  should  be  such  a  wedding  as  never 
was  heard  or  spoken  of  before,  and  there  was  no  end  to 
the  brewing  and  the  baking  and  the  slaughtering. 

In  the  meantime  the  soldier  walked  and  strolled  about 
down  in  the  other  world.  He  thought  it  was  hard  that 


he  should  see  neither  people  nor  daylight  any  more ;  but 
he  would  have  to  do  something,  he  thought,  and  so  for 
many  days  he  went  about  from  room  to  room  and  opened 
all  the  drawers  and  cupboards  and  searched  about  on  the 
shelves  and  looked  at  all  the  fine  things  that  were  there. 
At  last  he  came  to  a  drawer  in  a  table,  in  which  there  lay 
a  golden  key ;  he  tried  this  key  to  all  the  locks  he  could 
find,  but  there  was  none  it  fitted  till  he  came  to  a  little 
cupboard  over  the  bed,  and  in  that  he  found  an  old  rusty 
whistle.  "I  wonder  if  there  is  any  sound  in  it,"  he 
thought,  and  put  it  to  his  mouth.  No  sooner  had  he 
whistled  than  he  heard  a  whizzing  and  a  whirring  from 
all  quarters,  and  such  a  large  flock  of  birds  swept  down, 
that  they  blackened  all  the  field  in  which  they  settled. 

"What  does  our  master  want  to-day?"  they  asked. 

If  he  were  their  master,  the  soldier  said,  he  would 
like  to  know  if  they  could  tell  him  how  to  get  up  to  the 
earth  again.  No,  none  of  them  knew  anything  about 
that;  "But  our  mother  has  not  yet  arrived,"  they  said; 
"if  she  can't  help  you,  no  one  can." 

So  he  whistled  once  more,  and  shortly  heard  something 
flapping  its  wings  far  away,  and  then  it  began  to  blow  so 
hard  that  he  was  carried  away  between  the  houses  like  a 


No  sooner  had  he  whistled  than  he  heard  a  whizzing  and  a  whirring  from  all 

quarters,  and  such  a  large  flock  of  birds  swept  down  that  they  blackened 

all  the  field  in  which  they  settled.     Page  192 


wisp  of  hay  across  the  courtyard,  and  if  he  had  not  caught 
hold  of  the  fence  he  would  no  doubt  have  been  blown 
away  altogether. 

A  big  eagle — bigger  than  you  can  imagine — then 
swooped  down  in  front  of  him. 

"You  come  rather  sharply,"  said  the  soldier. 

"As  you  whistle  so  I  come,"  answered  the  eagle.  So 
he  asked  her  if  she  knew  any  means  by  which  he  could 
get  away  from  the  world  in  which  they  were. 

"You  can't  get  away  from  here  unless  you  can  fly," 
said  the  eagle,  "  but  if  you  will  slaughter  twelve  oxen  for 
me,  so  that  I  can  have  a  really  good  meal,  I  will  try  and 
help  you.  Have  you  got  a  knife?" 

"No,  but  I  have  a  sword,"  he  said.  When  the- eagle 
had  swallowed  the  twelve  oxen  she  asked  the  soldier  to  kill 
one  more  for  victuals  on  the  journey.  "  Every  time  I  gape 
you  must  be  quick  and  fling  a  piece  into  my  mouth,"  she 
said,  "  else  I  shall  not  be  able  to  carry  you  up  to  earth." 

He  did  as  she  asked  him  and  hung  two  large  bags  of 
meat  round  her  neck  and  seated  himself  among  her  feathers.. 
The  eagle  then  began  to  flap  her  wings  and  off  they  went 
through  the  air  like  the  wind.  It  was  as  much  as  the  sol 
dier  could  do  to  hold  on,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest 


2  B 


'93 


difficulty  he  managed  to  throw  the  pieces  of  flesh  into  the 
eagle's  mouth  every  time  she  opened  it. 

At  last  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  the  eagle  was  then 
almost  exhausted  and  began  flapping  with  her  wings,  but 
the  soldier  was  prepared  and  seized  the  last  hind  quarter 
and  flung  it  to  her,  Then  she  gained  strength  and  brought 
him  up  to  earth.  When  she  had  sat  and  rested  a  while  at 
the  top  of  a  large  pine-tree  she  set  off  with  him  again  at 
such  a  pace  that  flashes  of  lightning  were  seen  both  by 
sea  and  land  wherever  they  went. 

Close  to  the  palace  the  soldier  got  off  and  the  eagle 
flew  home  again,  but  first  she  told  him  that  if  he  at  any 
time  should  want  her  he  need  only  blow  the  whistle  and 
she  would  be  there  at  once. 

In  the  meantime  everything  was  ready  at  the  palace, 
and  the  time  approached  when  the  captain  and  lieutenant 
were  to  be  married  with  the  two  eldest  Princesses,  who, 
however,  were  not  much  happier  than  their  youngest 
sister ;  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  weeping  and  mourn 
ing,  and  the  nearer  the  wedding-day  approached  the  more 
sorrowful  did  they  become. 

At  last  the  King  asked  what  was  the  matter  with 
them ;  he  thought  it  was  very  strange  that  they  were  not 


194 


merry  and  happy  now  that  they  were  saved  and  had  been 
set  free  and  were  going  to  be  married.  They  had  to  give 
some  answer,  and  so  the  eldest  sister  said  they  never  would 
be  happy  any  more  unless  they  could  get  such  checkers  as 
they  had  played  with  in  the  blue  mountain. 

That,  thought  the  King,  could  be  easily  managed,  and 
so  he  sent  word  to  all  the  best  and  cleverest  goldsmiths  in 
the  country  that  they  should  make  these  checkers  for  the 
Princesses.  For  all  they  tried  there  was  no  one  who  could 
make  them.  At  last  all  the  goldsmiths  had  been  to  the 
palace  except  one,  and  he  was  an  old,  infirm  man  who  had 
not  done  any  work  for  many  years  except  odd  jobs,  by 
which  he  was  just  able  to  keep  himself  alive.  To  him  the 
soldier  went  and  asked  to  be  apprenticed.  The  old  man 
was  so  glad  to  get  him,  for  he  had  not  had  an  apprentice 
for  many  a  day,  that  he  brought  out  a  flask  from  his  chest 
and  sat  down  to  drink  with  the  soldier.  Before  long  the 
drink  got  into  his  head,  and  when  the  soldier  saw  this  he 
persuaded  him  to  go  up  to  the  palace  and  tell  the  King 
that  he  would  undertake  to  make  the  checkers  for  the 
Princesses. 

He  was  ready  to  do  that  on  the  spot;  he  had  made 
finer  and  grander  things  in  his  day,  he  said.  When  the 


J95 


King  heard  there  was  some  one  outside  who  could  make 
the  checkers  he  was  not  long  in  coming  out. 

"Is  it  true  what  you  say,  that  you  can  make  such 
checkers  as  my  daughters  want?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  it  is  no  lie,"  said  the  goldsmith ;  that  he  would 
answer  for. 

"That's  well!"  said  the  King.  "Here  is  the  gold 
to  make  them  with ;  but  if  you  do  not  succeed  you  will 
lose  your  life,  since  you  have  come  and  offered  yourself, 
and  they  must  be  finished  in  three  days." 

The  next  morning  when  the  goldsmith  had  slept  off 
the  effects  of  the  drink,  he  was  not  quite  so  confident 
about  the  job.  He  wailed  and  wept  and  blew  up  his 
apprentice,  who  had  got  him  into  such  a  scrape  while  he 
was  drunk.  The  best  thing  would  be  to  make  short 
work  of  himself  at  once,  he  said,  for  there  could  be  no 
hope  for  his  life ;  when  the  best  and  grandest  goldsmiths 
could  not  make  such  checkers,  was  it  likely  that  he  could 
do  it? 

"Don't  fret  on  that  account,"  said  the  soldier,  "but 
let  me  have  the  gold  and  I'll  get  the  checkers  ready  in  time ; 
but  I  must  have  a  room  to  myself  to  work  in,"  he  said. 
This  he  got,  and  thanks  into  the  bargain. 


The  time  wore  on,  and  the  soldier  did  nothing  but 
lounge  about,  and  the  goldsmith  began  to  grumble,  because 
he  would  not  begin  with  the  work. 

"  Don't  worry  yourself  about  it,"  said  the  soldier, 
"  there  is  plenty  of  time !  If  you  are  not  satisfied  with 
what  I  have  promised  you  had  better  make  them  yourself." 
The  same  thing  went  on  both  that  day  and  the  next ;  and 
when  the  smith  heard  neither  hammer  nor  file  from  the 
soldier's  room  the  whole  of  the  last  day,  he  quite  gave 
himself  up  for  lost ;  it  was  now  no  use  to  think  any  longer 
about  saving  his  life,  he  thought. 

But  when  the  night  came  on  the  soldier  opened  the 
window  and  blew  his  whistle.  The  eagle  then  came  and 
asked  what  he  wanted. 

"  Those  gold  checkers,  which  the  Princesses  had 
in  the  blue  mountain,"  said  the  soldier ;  "  but  you'll 
want  something  to  eat  first,  I  suppose  ?  I  have  two 
ox  carcases  lying  ready  for  you  in  the  hay-loft  yonder ; 
you  had  better  finish  them,"  he  said.  When  the  eagle 
had  done  she  did  not  tarry,  and  long  before  the  sun 
rose  she  was  back  again  with  the  checkers.  The 
soldier  then  put  them  under  his  bed  and  lay  down  to 
sleep. 


197 


Early  next  morning  the  goldsmith  came  and  knocked 
at  his  door. 

"  What  are  you  after  now  again  ? "  asked  the  soldier. 
"  You  rush  about  enough  in  the  day,  goodness  knows ! 
If  one  cannot  have  peace  when  one  is  in  bed,  whoever 
would  be  an  apprentice  here?"  said  he. 

Neither  praying  nor  begging  helped  that  time ;  the 
goldsmith  must  and  would  come  in,  and  at  last  he  was 

let  in. 

And  then,  you  may  be  sure,  there  was  soon  an  end 

to  his  wailing. 

But  still  more  glad  than  the  goldsmith  were  the 
Princesses,  when  he  came  up  to  the  palace  with  the 
checkers,  and  gladdest  of  all  was  the  youngest  Princess. 

"Have  you  made  them  yourself?"  she  asked. 

"No,  if  I  must  speak  the  truth,  it  is  not  I,"  he  said, 
"but  my  apprentice,  who  has  made  them." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  that  apprentice,"  said  the  Princess. 
In  fact  all  three  wanted  to  see  him,  and  if  he  valued  his 
life,  he  would  have  to  come. 

He  was  not  afraid,  either  of  women-folk  or  grand-folk, 
said  the  soldier,  and  if  it  could  be  any  amusement  to  them 
to  look  at  his  rags,  they  should  soon  have  that  pleasure. 


198 


The  youngest  Princess  recognised  him  at  once;  she 
pushed  the  soldiers  aside  and  ran  up  to  him,  gave  him  her 
hand,  and  said : 

"Good  day,  and  many  thanks  for  all  you  have  done 
for  us.  It  is  he  who  freed  us  from  the  trolls  in  the 
mountain,"  she  said  to  the  King.  "He  is  the  one  I  will 
have ! "  and  then  she  pulled  off  his  cap  and  showed  them 
the  ring  she  had  tied  in  his  hair. 

It  soon  came  out  how  the  captain  and  lieutenant  had 
behaved,  and  so  they  had  to  pay  the  penalty  of  their 
treachery  with  their  lives,  and  that  was  the  end  of  their 
grandeur.  But  the  soldier  got  the  golden  crown  and 
half  the  kingdom,  and  married  the  youngest  Princess. 

At  the  wedding  they  drank  and  feasted  both  well  and 
long ;  for  feast  they  all  could,  even  if  they  could  not  find 
the  Princesses,  and  if  they  have  not  yet  done  feasting  and 
drinking  they  must  be  at  it  still. 


THE   CAT   ON 
THE    DOVREFELL 

|NCE  on  a  time  there  was  a  man  up  in  Finnmark 
who  had  caught  a  great  white  bear,  which  he 
was  going  to  take  to  the  King  of  Denmark. 
Now,  it  so  fell  out,  that  he  came  to  the  Dovrefell  just 
about  Christmas  Eve,  and  there  he  turned  into  a  cottage 
where  a  man  lived,  whose  name  was  Halvor,  and  asked 
the  man  if  he  could  get  house-room  there  for  his  bear 
and  himself. 

"  Heaven  never  help  me,  if  what  I  say  isn't  true  !  " 
said  the  man ;  "  but  we  can't  give  anyone  house-room  just 
now,  for  every  Christmas  Eve  such  a  pack  of  Trolls  come 
down  upon  us,  that  we  are  forced  to  flit,  and  haven't  so 
much  as  a  house  over  our  own  heads,  to  say  nothing  of 
lending  one  to  anyone  else." 

uOh  ?  "  said  the  man,  "if  that's  all,  you  can  very  well 
lend  me  your  house ;  my  bear  can  lie  under  the  stove 
yonder,  and  I  can  sleep  in  the  side-room." 

Well,  he  begged  so  hard,  that  at  last  he  got  leave  to 
stay  there ;  so  the  people  of  the  house  flitted  out,  and  be 
fore  they  went,  everything  was  got  ready  for  the  Trolls  ; 


2  C  2OO 


the  tables  were  laid,  and  there  was  rice  porridge,  and  fish 
boiled  in  lye,  and  sausages,  and  all  else  that  was  good, 
just  as  for  any  other  grand  feast. 

So,  when  everything  was  ready,  down  came  the  Trolls. 
Some  were  great,  and  some  were  small;  some  had  long 
tails,  and  some  had  no  tails  at  all  \  some,  too,  had  long, 
long  noses  ;  and  they  ate  and  drank,  and  tasted  everything. 
Just  then  one  of  the  little  Trolls  caught  sight  of  the  white 
bear,  who  lay  under  the  stove;  so  he  took  a  piece  of 
sausage  and  stuck  it  on  a  fork,  and  went  and  poked  it  up 
against  the  bear's  nose,  screaming  out: 

"Pussy,  will  you  have  some  sausage?" 

Then  the  white  bear  rose  up  and  growled,  and 
hunted  the  whole  pack  of  them  out  of  doors,  both  great 
and  small. 

Next  year  Halvor  was  out  in  the  wood,  on  the  after 
noon  of  Christmas  Eve,  cutting  wood  before  the  holidays, 
for  he  thought  the  Trolls  would  come  again  ;  and  just  as 
he  was  hard  at  work,  he  heard  a  voice  in  the  wood  call 
ing  out  : 

"Halvor!  Halvor!" 
Well,"  said  Halvor,  "here  I  am." 
Have  you  got  your  big  cat  with  you  still  ?  " 


<c 
<c 


20  1 


"Yes,  that  I  have,"  said  Halvor;  "she's  lying  at 
home  under  the  stove,  and  what's  more,  she  has  now  got 
seven  kittens,  far  bigger  and  fiercer  than  she  is  herself." 

"Oh,  then,  we'll  never  come  to  see  you  again,"  bawled 
out  the  Troll  away  in  the  wood,  and  he  kept  his  word ; 
for  since  that  time  the  Trolls  have  never  eaten  their 
Christmas  brose  with  Halvor  on  the  Dovrefell. 


20  z 


ONE'S   OWN    CHILDREN 
ARE  ALWAYS   PRETTIEST 

SPORTSMAN  went  out  once  into  a  wood  to 
shoot,  and  he  met  a  Snipe. 

"Dear  friend,"  said  the  Snipe,  "don't  shoot 
my  children!" 

"  How  shall  I  know  your  children  ?  "  asked  the  Sports 
man.     "What  are  they  like?" 

"Oh!"  said 
the  Snipe,  "mine 
are  the  prettiest 
children  in  all  the 
wood." 

"Very  well," 
said  thzSportsman, 
"I'll  not  shoot 
them  ;  don't  be 
afraid." 

But  for  all 
that,    when    he 
came  back,  there 
he    had   a   whole 


203 


string  of  young  snipes  in  his  hand  which  he  had  shot. 

"Oh,  oh!"  said  the  Snipe,  "why  did  you  shoot  my 
children  after  all  ? " 

"What!  these  your  children!"  said  the  Sportsman; 
"why,  I  shot  the  ugliest  I  could  find,  that  I  did!" 

"Woe  is  me!"  said  the  Snipe;  "don't  you  know  that 
each  one  thinks  his  own  children  the  prettiest  in  the 
world?" 


« 


204 


3 


* 


Pdul  Elder, 


-dS 


